I trust you
by Harmonee
Summary: Hermione comes to know something that's hidden from her and Harry. What'll she do is the question. Will she help Harry or keep quiet? But knowing Hermione, you can obviously tell that she's going to stick by Harry's side and help him.
1. The Prologue

So I was just reading through the chapters I had written and realised that the chapters were not good enough, so I re-read them and have added and deleted some stuff here and there.

**Chapter 1: The Prologue**

A/N: This is my first story here and I really hope you like it. Review and let me know what you think. I'm really looking forward to them!

Thanks to Rosalie Thomas my Beta. (Don't know what I'll do without her.)

Hermione sat on her bed at The Burrow, her mind running through the things she just read and what she has just found out. The only thing she could think about now is Harry. He is going to be crushed after he knows how the others have betrayed him. Biting her lips she decided that she had to see get away from Burrow as fast as he could and talk to Harry face to face and get him to a safer place, away from them.

Dear Harry,

I hope the Dursleys are treating you well and I hope this letters find you well. Well, I don't know how am I going to say this but; I am coming to "rescue" you from the house, tomorrow at 10 A.M. tomorrow. And no, it's not a prank and neither am I kidding. I can't wait to meet you.

See you tomorrow.

Love,

Hermione.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Chapter 2**

A/N: Harry Potter belongs to Rowling... and I thank her for it.

So this is chapter two of my story "I Trust You" I really do hope you like it and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you do! :)

Reviews would be really appreciated.

Thanks Rosalie Thomas my Beta. She's helping me write better.

* * *

Hermione apparated right in front of Harry's uncle's house in Private Drive. She stood in front of the gate, her one hand on the gate and the other one on her wand, ready for an attack and gazed at the sky looking out for her signal. She pulled down her denim skirt hoping it would "magically" lengthen a bit. If it wasn't for Tonks, she would have never worn this and now looking back she had no idea how she made her dress her in a short skirt and a green shirt which co-incidentally looked the colour of Harry's eyes, as Remus had hinted before. She felt a bead of sweat sliding from her neck to her tail bone making her wriggle at the feeling as she quickly re-did her cooling spell on herself thanking god for one more reason it was convenient he had made her a witch. Shaking her head at the unwanted thoughts she saw a beam of red light shooting into the sky and fading into nothingness. To a muggle eye it would look like fireworks but she knew it was the signal she had been waiting for she quickly walked towards the house.

Crossing her fingers whishing with all her heart that 'the rescue' mission will go smooth, she took a long and much needed deep breath. Collecting her Gryffindor courage she knocked on the door and waited for someone to open the door, secretly hoping that it wasn't Harry's uncle who opens it, not at all in the mood at looking at his large, red face.

It was not long before a very bony woman with a crooked nose and long neck. Her eyes are large and pale, quite unlike Harry's mother Lily, she immediately knew she was Harry's Aunt, who had opened the door with the infamous and obscenely over weight Dudley looking over his mothers shoulder at her, the two of them in complete contradiction. He was smiling or rather leering at her and staring at her with his small beady eyes, making her shiver in disgust and made her feel uncomfortable, seeing him look at her made felt as though there were thousands of slugs crawling all over her. Disgusted she shivered and had started to feel little ill about the whole thing.

"Yes?" Petunia asked as her eyes roamed all over her with a smile on her face and waited for an answer.

"Ummm... I am a friend of Harry's from his school-!" she said as she fingered her wand and immediately saw the change in both of them, from pleasant to disgust in a matter of seconds. "- and I am here to pick him up, so if you don't mind." She pushed aside Aunt Petunia and pressed to the wall as she went in, keeping a decent distance between them and went inside ignoring their cry of shock. She sighed in relief feeling the temperature inside around her drop drastically. She looked around and knew why Harry hated here, she called out for him and within seconds she saw him coming down the stairs already dressed in jeans and a black tee which fit him quite snugly, she admitted.

"Harry, it's so good to see you." Hermione said and hugged him and saw Aunt Petunia make a face at them. Inwardly sighing in relief seeing him dressed and ready to go. "You look good." Harry whispered at her and hugged her a second longer than he normally would.

"Thanks." Hermione whispered back as her cheeks turned slightly pink and saw Dudley's eyes narrow and could almost hear the wheels in his head start to move.

Clearing her throat she took a step back, maintaining distance between the both of them. "So where are others?" Harry asked as looked all over the place, no son of the others who usually come to pick his up but only saw his aunt and cousin with their eyes narrowed.

"Harry, it's only me and I think that I am quite capable of getting you to the place quite safely." Hermione replied snapping his concentration back to her.

Harry opened his mouth to say something when Hermione's wrist watch interrupted them by beeping and she jumped in surprise. "Harry, hurry up we have to go now." She said pushing Harry towards the stairs to get his trunk and Hedwig. "But Hermione-"he started but Hermione cut him off "Not now Harry, we are on a tight schedule so fast Harry she said pointing at her watch." She turned around as Harry went up the stairs to his room and saw Aunt Petunia and Dudley staring at her with suspicious eyes. Deciding to keep quiet about it not wanting to get into a verbal fight with them she waited for Harry to come back down looking everywhere except looking at the both of them.

It wasn't long before he returned. Hermione immediately took Hedwig from him and went towards the door with Harry following her. He mumbled a small and almost inaudible "bye" to his aunt and cousin as he passed them. As soon as they were both out of the door, Hermione instantly turned around and said "Oblivate!" clearly and loudly directing the spell towards Harry's aunt and cousin. She had to pull a stunned and surprised Harry with her as she started walking to the nearest apparition point in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Chapter 3**

I already had these chapters done so I'm putting it up, for further chapters you have to be patient with me.

Love the Reviews... :)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any other brand mentioned in this story.

Harry snapped back to himself, after and closed his mouth which had fell open due to the shock of seeing Hermione oblivating both his Aunt Petunia and Dudley. Before he could shake his surprise off him he felt a tug in his stomach and almost immediately he felt himself being apparated to an unknown place.

"Uuhh! I hate apparating." Harry mumbled quietly. He was on the ground, on his back, he stared at the sky looking at the bright sky, squinting slightly at the sun as the dizziness left him. He got up and dusted himself as he heard Hermione say to him in a small voice, almost as though she was afraid of setting him off, "Don't worry you'll get used to it." He looked up and saw Hermione taking his trunk and reducing it into a size of a matchstick and placing into her pocket. He looked at her was once again was entranced by her long, creamy legs that he swore were never ending like the everlasting candy from the Weasley's' Wizard Wheezes.

He quickly looked away before she could catch him ogling at her and forced himself to look someplace else before she caught him staring at her and which would inevitably scare her off. Dusting himself off, he took in his surroundings. He could instantly make out the vast differences between Privet Drive and well, wherever he was. It was... it was very open to say the least, free was the word that came to his mind as he gazed at the place that enveloped him. There were no houses packed in as tight as they could fit like on Privet Drive. He could see a small garden whose grass had gone yellow due to the heat and lack of water, hot-humid weather and the hot sun. He could even see the cracks in the ground due to the heat and lack of water. He also noticed that there was not a single soul on the road.

"You can set Hedwig free; she will be able to find us in the house." Hermione suggested to Harry. He nodded and opened up her cage letting Hedwig fly away, Hermione took the cage from him then and reduced it to the smaller size to match his truck and put it away with his trunk. She started walking and motioned him to do the same too.

"So, where exactly are we?" Harry asked as he looked at the barren place.

"This is Remus place- this is his estate." She said biting her lips and looking at him from the corner of her eyes.

Harry frowned, his brows furrowed in thought "Aren't we going to The Burrow? Or are the Weasley's are staying here too?" he asked turning towards her as they both continued to walk to the unknown destination.

Hermione looked away from harry, closed her eyes and sighed softly. She bit her lips "There was a change in plan." She answered avoiding answering his question. A comfortable yet awkward silence fell over both of them, and neither of them did nothing to break it. Both lost in their thoughts while continuing to walk towards their destination. Harry was deep in thoughts thinking why Hermione was acting so weird around him when he felt as though someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on him.

"What the hell was that?" Harry yelled, startling Hermione as he immediately took out his wand from his back pocket and he threw out his other hand in front of Hermione, ready for an attack.

"Harry, there is no need to curse or yell." Hermione said reprovingly as she looked in his confused eyes. "What happened?" she asked as Harry calmed down a little.

"I felt as though someone poured ice water on me." Harry replied to her.

"Oh! I forgot about that. Harry that was just an anti-charm to undo any magic, or traces put on you." Looking at Harry's enquiring gaze she added "it means that you can now do magic, well without getting letters from the ministry." Hermione said smirking ever so lightly with her eyes shining brilliantly.

"Seriously?" Harry asked surprised and little apprehensive looking at his wand in wonder. He'd been in trouble over this before and it wasn't worth going back on trial.

Quickly rearranging her facial expression from happy to somewhat serious she asked, "Is this serious enough for you?" Looking at her, Harry cracked a smile and exclaimed, "Cool!" Taking out his wand, he did a quick Reducto on a nearby rock, which ended up being turned into pieces and sand. "Awesome," he whispered to himself while Hermione was silently chuckling at his antics.

"Come on, it's not so far now. Actually, can you see that house?" Hermione asked Harry, pointing straight ahead. He could see a house, which was in the middle of nowhere, and then he suddenly realized that Hermione was waiting for an answer and answered her in an affirmative. He took her hand and started walking towards the house.

"Once we reach the house, I will tell you everything." she said quickly squeezing Harry's hand and then recasting the cooling charms upon them. Harry frowned at her but nodded silently.

It wasn't long before they reached the small but cosy looking house. It looked quite odd placed in the middle of nowhere. Hermione opened the door and went inside, "Come on in!" she was calling out to him from inside.

Harry followed her inside and felt an instant blast of cool air and thought out loud, "Heaven." He glanced at Hermione and she agreed, "Yeah."

Hermione pushed him towards the sofa and sat him down. The house looked homey. It had a medium sized fireplace. The sofa looked exactly like their favourite couch in the Gryffindor common room. There were paintings and pictures hung all over and same antiques and knickknacks, here and there.

"Okay, so what did you want to tell me, what is going on?" Harry asked Hermione as she sat down next to him.

Hermione lowered her eyes and then looked at him; she nodded her head and then got up and went to the other room. Harry looked at her as she went wondering whether he should follow her not. Before he could make up his mind Hermione returned looking worried but determined.

She sat down right next to him as before and turned to face him, taking a deep breath she said "Okay, there is some very good news and a bit of very bad news… which one do you want to hear first?" Hermione asked him.

"Start with the bad news, let's get it out of the way." Harry said gruffly trying to feel brave and listened to what she had to say.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Chapter 4**

A/N: Thanks for all those reviews. I really do appreciate it. Hope you like the chapter.

I would also like to thank my Beta Rosalie Thomas for helping me to write better for you guys.

All reviews are welcome. Until next time...

"Okay, well you know that The Weasley's had called me to stay in The Burrow for the summer, right?" She asked him and waited for him to answer.

"Yeah, like always." He replied shrugging.

Hermione nodded and then continued on "Well I found something there, which you may not like..." Hermione started.

"Well go on." Harry told her now slightly intrigued with where this was going.

"Okay... let me start this the other way, after Dumbledore's funeral I... went to the girls dormitory and accioed the books and notes on Horcrux from his office." She said turning pink. Harry simple nodded at her smiling a bit as she self professed her crime.

Looking at his expression she quickly added "Well it's not sealing, rather borrowing them, I swear" she said making herself believe that she was not stealing the books. Harry quickly got up and hugged her assuring that it was fine and when it was all over with, they both will go together and return the books.

When Harry sat down, Hermione began again, "Those books had everything about Horcruxes; how to make them, the preparation, how to destroy them and as well as the location of the Horcruxes are which are made by Voldemort... everything I could ever think about Horcrux was there and it was a lot, it took me weeks to finish them." Hermione paused letting Harry to speak if he wanted to.

"Well, that's good... isn't it? I mean we know where they are. Then we can go and destroy them." Harry said, now clearly excited.

Hermione took a deep breath and asked him "Harry how Horcruxes did Dumbledore tell you that he had destroyed?"

"Two - Tom Riddle's diary, which I had stabbed with a basilisk fang in his second year, his grandfather's ring, which Dumbledore had destroyed before the sixth year summer. Why?"

"Because in these books its written that four Horcrux's has been destroys till now that is Tom Riddle's Diary, Marvolo Gaunt's Ring, Salazar Slytherin's Locket and Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem and in the other three ,he believes one of them to be Nagini, and other two unknown Horcruxes he couldn't identify."

"Then why didn't he tell me so?" he asked her.

"I don't know."

"I mean, didn't he have the responsibility to at least tell me about this so that we can get behind the other three and finish him?" Harry questioned distraught.

"Harry that no one can answer that except him."

"Well too late, he is dead." Harry said as he stared at the rug and that's why he didn't see Hermione looking away, biting her lips and shaking his head slightly.

"Harry, that is not all. The books I had almost all of them were filled with information related to Horcrux and Voldemort, well except one." Hermione said looking at him.

"Well what did that book contain?" He asked as he scooted closer to her.

"It was full you." She said quickly. Harry frowned and looked at her.

"What do you mean by that exactly?" He asked as his frown deepened.

"The book was full of your information, Harry. It recorded all the things which happened to you since the day you had stepped into Hogwarts. All through The first year to the day before you and Dumbledore had gone to the cave. It had the information from the Gringotts, how much money you have, the food you eat, how much water you drank. Everything harry." She said looking at him worriedly.

"Is that all?" Harry asked a little disturbed about what he just heard.

"Well there is more Harry." She said.

"Well then what are you waiting for, out with it." He said urgently.

"Well didn't you feel that it was weird that The Weasley's were so eager to help you from the day you met them?" she quizzed him.

Harry frowned but did not say anything else. Hermione continued as Harry didn't reply, "Well, Dumbledore was behind this as well." She said.

"What does that mean?" Harry asked when Hermione fell quiet.

"That means that Dumbledore has been paying them Harry, he has been paying the Weasley's to take care of you and me. The food that Mrs. Weasley used to make, the days we spent their, the water we drank… everything. That's why they wanted us to go to their house every summer when we had holidays." She paused letting Harry to take it all in.

"All those extra helpings and those days we stayed, that was because they were payed to do so?" Harry asked her in disgust. She just nodded keeping quiet. Harry copied her and nodded as well as he looked down at his lap and processed to take it all in.

"What about Ginny, We were going out last year you know and Ron?" He asked looking anxiously with wide eyes hoping they weren't involved in the scheming too.

Hermione now avoided his gaze and bit her lips. "Oh Merlin!" Harry whispered and he covered his face with his hand. Hermione tentatively touched his shoulder and took him into a gentle hug.

"I really liked Ginny." Harry said with a sigh as he broke the hug and leaned back. "Did she like me too or was it all an act?" he asked.

"Harry, Ginny and Ron they both lied to us. Mrs. Weasley used to give us love potions. She started dosing you the summer before the sixth year. And for me Ron, at first he thought he could 'woo' me on his own using a book that Fred and George had given him-"_12 Fail-Safe Ways To Charm Witches".____ When that didn't work on me, obviously _he had started to use a potion on me too." She stopped as Harry opened his mouth but nothing came out so he closed it again.

Hermione nodded and continued "And also do you remember that ma and you were fighting constantly because of that stupid potion text book by Snape?" she asked him.

"Yes, quiet vividly." He said nodding his head.

"Well Dumbledore had used a spell on me to make me react like that towards the book, whenever I see it with you. That's why I went all mad last year." She said covering his hand with hers. She knew it was going to be hard for him. It had taken a day or two for her to come in grasp with it.

Harry's mouth hung open and leaned back in shock. Hermione kept quite allowing him to take it all in. "I didn't know Dumbledore had so much of money to pay to the Weasley's for both of us?" Harry murmured quietly.

"He doesn't." Hermione agreed. Harry looked at her asking to continue. "He was stealing from you Harry." She said in near whisper. "He has been stealing from since your parents...died, to fund him as well as to fund the Hogwarts."

"How do you know that, actually how do you any of this? You said there was only one book left and that was full of me then how do you know all this stuff and how do you know this is all true?" Harry asked his narrowed and voice suspicious.

"Harry, there are magical diaries, easily expandable. It was all written in it. If you want I can show you." She suggested.

Harry looked into space and thought before nodding his head. Hermione mimicked him and took out the diaries and laid them one by one on the table. Hermione picked up a specific diary with shaky hands and gave it to him. Harry looked at her and she nodded at him to check it out. Harry went through the diary, with is eyes wide open. When he reached at the almost end of it Hermione stopped him.

"Harry-"she started shifting uncomfortably on the couch"-before you continue to look, you should know something that happened last year near the end."

Harry paused, looked up from the dairy and looked her, waiting for her to continue. Hermione took a deep breath and said the next line in hurry "Harry he is alive."

"Who?" He asked his brows furrowing a little.

"Dumbledore." Hermione held her breath as the sentence met shocked silence.

Harry opened his mouth and shut it a few times before he could make up a sentence from his surprisingly dry throat "What?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes Harry." She said scooting ear him.

"But how is that possible, I saw him die, right in front of my eyes." Harry protested.

"I know, Harry. I believe you when you say that you saw him did but Harry it was all pre-planned."

"What do you, how can his death be pre-planned?" he shouted in distress as he ran him hand through him hair.

"That I don't know Harry, but-"

"Then how can you be so bloody sure about it?" He interrupted her.

"Harry the dairy which you are holding write now is connected to Dumbledore. Whenever he thinks about you, anything connected to you it records it here. Turn to the last page Harry."

Harry looked at her in disbelief but followed her instruction and saw words appear on the pages like the riddles diary.

_The will of Sirius has not yet been sent to Harry, I have to get it before it reaches him. I cannot take the chance of him letting the will know, it will go to his head. Right now he has to be humble and level headed. _

_Remind molly to increase the amount of love potion in his and Ms. Granger's foo-_

Harry had seen enough and shut the book with a big bang. He was stunned, he felt betrayed and all his life has been huge lie.

Harry sat their stunned, not able to believe that he was living a lie all these days. He was played. He took a shuddering breath as he calmed himself. He felt the prickling feeling at the back of his eyes and saw Hermione looking at him worriedly. He spoke nothing but held her hand in his head and thought to himself _"No, I have to be strong. I have to take control."_ He thought to him and repeated to himself like a mantra. At last he looked up at Hermione and smiled at her and he patted her hand softly. She silently got up from where she was sitting and sat next to Harry, wrapping her arms around him giving all the support she could. Harry turned his head and hugged her, his head now cradling between her neck and shoulder.

Harry broke the hug softly and looked at her. She suddenly smiled at him and he frowned. "So are you ready?"

"Ready, for what?" he asked little confused.

"For the good news of course!" she exclaimed happily, her mood changing immediately.

"Good news?" Harry asked with a confused expression upon his face.

"Yeah, never mind. Well get ready then," she said "Come on out you lot!"

Tonks and Remus came first. "Took you long enough." Tonks mumbled looking tired with Remus simply smiling behind her. Behind them, came Sirius.

Harry's only reaction to all that was happening was the opening and closing of his mouth not able to make any words or sounds.

"Hey pup." Sirius called out to him joyfully.

And Harry promptly fainted


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Chapter 5 **

Hey, I really do hope you like this chapter.

If you like this chapter then all of it goes to my Beta Rosalie Thomas. :)

When Harry gained consciousness, he was laying down on something soft and very comfortable that had done wonders to his tired body. He did not want to get up but going against what his body wanted, he opened his eyes, welcoming his conscious. He heard whisper from his right as he tried to shade his eyes from the bright light that was disturbing him. He moaned in frustration and the room fell silent and almost immediately, the light disappeared and he sighed in happiness. He pushed his body into a sitting position with his back against the wall, he rubbed his eyes slowly as he yawned and felt someone handing his spectacles to him. He took them and cleaned them and put it on and looked at Sirius who standing right in front of him and his memories returned to him so fast that he flinched. The Weasley's, their betrayal to him, the love potions used by Ron and Ginny, the Horcruxes Dumbledore faking his death, him using his money for Hogwarts, and then Sirius. Harry groaned and rubbed his forehead lightly, a small head ache starting.

He looked around the room, taking everything in, in still silence. He saw Hermione looking worriedly at him, standing next to Sirius leaning on the wall. He saw both Remus and Tonks standing next to each other leaning on the wall opposite to the bed whispering to each other. He saw Tonks mumble something into the tissue she was holding and sniffle into it. Deciding not to ask her why, he turned towards Sirius and was immediately taken into a body binding hug. A smile spear on his face as he returned the hug with the same enthusiasm.

"Hey pup, how are you?" Sirius asked Harry. He pulled out of the hug, rubbing his godson softly and grinning at him.

"Fine-"He answered him but before he could continue, he heard sobbing. He turned towards Hermione and saw her covering her smile and pointing towards Tonks. He looked at Tonks and saw that she was now sobbing into the tissue. When she saw him looking at her, She loudly said "It's just so beautiful, the reunion of you too." causing Remus to turn his head to keep her from seeing the smile on his face and felt Sirius shake in laughter.

Harry turned his questioning gaze at Remus. He just shook his head motioning to keep quite. He nodded but not before looking at Tonks again who was whispering "So beautiful..." into the tissue.

He looked at Tonks in concern but followed what Remus said and shifted his attention to Sirius. He still couldn't believe it. He cleared his throat to get Sirius's attention. The moment he cleared his throat not only Sirius, but the other three looked at him. Blushing, his cheeks coloured slightly he asked Sirius, "How?"

"Well it's an answer I would like to know myself." Sirius replied looking at Hermione meaningfully.

"Me too." came the united answer from Remus and Tonks.

Hermione blushed slightly as she became the centre of attention. She cleared her throat softy and said "How about we go the main room so I can tell you all there together?" She said and turned to leave the room without listening to their answers.

Remus and Tonks left the room behind Hermione almost immediately, with Harry and Sirius trailing behind them. They saw Hermione sitting on one of the single sofas. Harry quickly sat on the other. Sirius, Tonks and Remus made their way to the only three sitter sofa. They all waited for Hermione to start.

Averting her eyes in the other direction, so she wasn't looking at her audience, she started "Well as you know, I used to spend oodles of time in the library last year thanks to Ginny and Ron's meddling. And it has done nothing bad; it has helped us in return. Well as I was reading through the books, I coincidentally came across this book known as "The Mystery Behind the Veil" and was instantly curious about it. I started reading the book and the books whose names were given for further recommendation. Some of them were not even in the library, so I had to order them from Flourish and Blott's."

Harry interrupted Hermione "Wait a minute; those were books being delivered in the hall during breakfast? Ron thought they were letters from Viktor?" to which Hermione's answer was a curt nod and continued "I thought that I would tell you guys after I had some solid proof because I didn't want you to be broken hearted, if it was not possible. Now to think of it, thank Merlin I didn't or else I'm sure that Ron, Ginny, and Dumbledore would have stopped me in some way. Well continuing, I had read around five to six books which all just gave information about the 'Veil' and what could be there behind it. There wasn't anything about how to retrieve someone or something from behind the veil if lost. At last I had a bit of success, in one of the books it was written that if someone gets lost behind the veil the only way they can be retrieved is by a ritual."

Taking a small breath Hermione saw how the four of them were griped by the story, smiling to herself she started again, "The ritual was nothing too tough; personally I expected it to much more dark and dangerous, but surprisingly it was actually very basic to say, What it said is- in short it said that the person who is behind the veil can be brought back if two people, in this case Remus and Tonks, connected to the person, Sirius, in some way or other-, it may be by relation, family, friends anything even enemies would do. So, I came into contact with Remus, who when I first told this, told me that after all the studying and staying in the library for long periods of time and not having fun, that I had lost my last nut." Hermione said giving Remus a look, who in turn gave a shrug in return. She then continued "but surprisingly, Tonks was much easier to work with."

"After they both agreed to my 'crazy' plan, I planned a meeting with both of them and told them about the ritual. So there I was, with Remus and Tonks, about to go to the ministry. I thought of telling you, but at that time you were busy with Ginny and I did not want to disturb you and I wasn't sure whether it could work or not. So I thought that I would surprise you with it."

"You did." Harry again interrupted her moving forward so he was on his knees in front of her and took her hand and said "And I will thank you for it every moment I am with Sirius." He continued kissing her hand softly dropping in on the sofa, patting it twice, and went back to his original seat making Hermione blush at the gesture.

Clearing her throat softly she continued "Tonks easily lead us to the room where the veil was kept. I drew the needed runes on the floor and started the ritual, and started chanting lines in Latin. I had placed Tonks and Remus right in front of the veil and asked them to think of all the good times they had with Sirius and how much they both wanted him back. Not before long, we saw Sirius walking into the room from the veil looking just the way he did two years back."

"And that's how we got Sirius from nothing and here he is sitting with us."Hermione said into the silence.

"And it's all because of you Hermione." Sirius said after sometime.

"Thank you" he whispered to her got up from where he had whispered and wrapped her into a hug causing Tonks to start her crying once again.

Harry looked at her weirdly when he heard "It's just her time on the month." Remus said when he looked at his questioning gaze, as though it explained everything. Harry cringed at the thought. As soon as Tonks heard what he had said, Tonks punched him playfully in the shoulder breaking Hermione's and Sirius's hug. Remus immediately shut up, rubbing the spot where she had hit him. He decided not to say anything else about it except a few unheard mumblings.

Go and Review right now and let me know if you like it and what else would you like me add in the story :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Chapter 6**

A/N: I know it's been long time but I had my exams going on. And with that my Beta too cannot help me with my story as she too is very busy with her work. This story is not Beta read and if there are any mistakes please do inform me. Reviews are very much appreciated.

And in the mean time I am searching for a new Beta Reader too. R/R

Harry slowly opened his eyes, welcoming the sunlight which was coming into his room. Harry felt peaceful and warm; something he hadn't felt in quite a while he smiled and was reluctant to wake, very rarely did he feel such peace after sleep more often than not he was plagued with awful nightmares. Before he had come here whenever he would close his eyes he was confronted by the ghastly image of Sirius falling backward into the veil never to re-emerge. Harry blinked wearily looked went over to Hedwig's cage where she was sleeping peacefully."The bed is really soft." He thought as he pressed down his mattress with his hands and ran his hand over the silk sheets. He remembered everything The Weasley's, Dumbledore and then Sirius. He still couldn't believe that he was here. "It will take a long time to get used to it." He thought.

He gets up and gets ready to go downstairs for breakfast. He checks his wardrobe and finds it full with Dudley's old shirts and jeans. "So need a new wardrobe." He looks at "his" clothes and wrinkles his nose in distaste. Listening to his stomach demanding for food he quickly picks a shirt and jeans randomly and puts on without sparing thought towards it and ran down the stairs to the kitchen. He came to a stop when he saw all of them already present their doing something or the other. He saw Hermione sitting their reading Daily Prophet while nursing a cup of black coffee, Sirius with a goofy smile on his face was looking at a photo album which he had in his hand and drinking his favourite Pumpkin juice time to time, Tonks and Remus were sitting next to each other closer than one would stand next to each other if are "just friends" talking to each other quietly. Nobody had noticed him come into the kitchen. He slowly crept in the kitchen wanting to surprise everyone but before he could open his mouth and shout out loud, Hermione beat him to it "Good morning Harry." She said never looking up from the paper. Harry jostled at that, his heart starting to beat faster than before.

"Don't you ever do that again, ok?" He told Hermione as he pressed his left hand over the chest, the thumping of the heartbeats slowly decreasing, while she just smirked behind the paper.

He asked her once he sat on the chair next to her on the table "How did you know I was there?"

"You were not really that silent when you came down stairs, Harry. This house has pretty thin walls; I could hear your footsteps from the start."

"Oh!" he said feeling slightly foolish about the way he acted.

"Breakfast, Harry?" Sirius asked him keeping the album on the table.

"Yeah, I am famished. Felt as though I have not eaten for days." Harry said sitting down in between Hermione and Sirius to have his breakfast.

"It may be possible." Hermione mumbled under her breath.

"Did you say something Hermione?" Sirius inquired.

"Nothing." Harry spoke up before Hermione could, took her hand which was under the table and squeezed it and shaking his head slightly asking her not to continue the conversation. Understanding what he meant she nodded and got up to help Sirius with the breakfast nut not before she bends and said "later" to him in his ear, before getting a subtle nod from him and turning back and moving towards Sirius. The food was soon in front of him - a plate full of bacon, toast and eggs in front of him and he immediately started gulping it down.

Few minutes of silence then Harry asked "So what now?" to all of them there.

"What do you mean?" Tonks spoke up.

"Well what now- what do we do now?" he questioned again. "As in how are we going to defeat Voldemort with everyone wanting to control me?" He said

"Well before that you two should see this." Tonks said to Harry and Hermione as she took out a cut-out piece of paper from her pocket and placing it front of them.

_He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Targets Muggles, right under the nose of the Minister._

_Minister of Magic Fudge had revealed yesterday late night that the increase in sudden temperature and collapsing of bridges are all because of Dark Forces. All these "accidents" are done by the death eaters and Dementors. It has also come into notice that the Dementors are no longer under the ministry's control which makes the situation much more. Even more shockingly, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's evasion of justice may also be the result of unwitting actions taken by none other than the Boy-Who-Lived-Harry Potter with his mentor all along with him- Late Albus Dumbledore. After that Minster Fudge refuse to say anything else. (Continued in page 12)_

Harry opened and closed his mouth in shock as he stared at Remus. "You've…Got…To…Be…Kidding," he then exploded.

"What does Fudge think he's playing at?" Hermione sputtered hotly.

"Are people actually buying that load of rubbish?" Hermione asked again when no one answered her the first time.

"I am very, very ashamed to say this but they do believe this." Remus replied with a grave voice.

"But it's only because they have nothing else to believe in." Sirius argued.

"And we have to do something about this." Tonks spoke up beside Remus.

"Well first things first, how do we prove that Dumbledore is still alive?" Harry questioned as he took a bit of his toast.

"Harry if you or Hermione even say remotely about Dumbledore being alive to anyone they will think that you both are lunatics."Sirius spoke up.

"Yes and the Weasley's too are involved with this; they will immediately know that we are up to something." Hermione added after giving what Sirius said a thought.

"Uuhh… then what can we do?" Harry asked hopelessness clearly masking his face banging his face on the table.

"Well I have given it a thought-"Hermione started and with that Harry sat up straight looking at her as though she was the only ray of hope he could find and the others giving her full attention.

"Well don't depend on it though I don't know how much will you all appreciate it, anyways I was thinking that after going back to Hogwarts we should still be friends with Ron and Ginny, you know acting." She said in a rush knowing what was coming next.

"What!" Harry shouted.

"How could you think that we both could still be friends after what they did to me and you?" Harry asked her feeling a little betrayed.

"Will you listen to me?" she pleaded him.

She got up and started working to and fro the length of the table and started "How could you think that I don't care about you! I do Harry, and if you will listen to me then you'll know why I'm saying this." She waited for harry to speak up if he wanted to be he just sat there and sulked looking at the table. "Well I thought that if we would still be with them we can you know investigate little with making them know that we are unto something and they are ought to slip sometime and meanwhile we can also start finding Dumbledore- you know where he is, what is he up to, what has he done in the past- stuff like that."

"I agree with your plan." Sirius spoke up after Hermione had finished.

"And I can help you with that." Tonks said excitedly.

"You can, how?' Harry asked not knowing what she is speaking about.

"Well you are looking at the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. I got the letter just before you came here." Tonks replied to Harry smiling.

"Nice." Harry spoke out loud.

"Yes all that is good but there is one problem."Remus interjected Harry.

"What, everything is set, we act as though we are friends with Ron and Ginny and the same time find Dumbledore then -Boom- expose them. That's it." Harry replied.

"It's not that easy Harry, the first problem is what will you tell the others about where were you the whole summer, then the other thing is the love potion they are using on both of you. And pardon me how the hell will you find Dumbledore?" Remus questioned.

"The love potion will not be a problem, we will neutralize ourselves there the same way we neutralized ourselves here, using the potion which you made Remus you can send us to Hogwarts by post or I could make it myself there." Hermione answered.

"Potion, What potion? I wasn't given one?" Harry turned and asked Hermione.

"Yes we gave it to you went you fainted Harry." Tonks said.

"Oh! OK, so what am I supposed to say about where I was in the holidays?" He asked.

"Well, we don't have to worry about that too." Hermione said as he cheeks turned rose coloured "when I oblivated your aunt I had also put a spell on the house which will make it look that you are still staying there and your uncle and aunt will think the same way too."

"Hermione-"Tonks started her eyes wide in awe.

"That's brilliant." Sirius completed his face stretched into happy smile.

"Which spell did you use?" Remus asked curiously.

"I made it myself." She admitted and looked away.

"Okay, well that is done. Now the other thing is that where do we search for Dumbledore?" Sirius diverted the attention from Hermione to Dumbledore. Hermione looked up and sent a grateful look at Sirius and he just bowed his head.

"Yes that will be a problem, I mean remember the time with Umbridge where she tried to find him and the whole ministry, they were unsuccessful- so where do we search for him." Hermione quickly spoke.

"Yeah, that is a problem." Harry agreed with her.

"Hermione, what about the notes of Dumbledore- May be has written something in it." Tonks suggested.

Deep in thought and nodding her head she said "Yah, I will go through them again and then note down all the names of places which is mentioned in all of them, then we will check them all those place one by one."

"Yah, at least it's a start." Remus said and with that the conversation came to an end.

"Ummm if we are over with it can I some more Bacon and some eggs will be great too." Harry asked Sirius as he had given him the breakfast which followed by laughing and Sirius getting up to get some more food. With a distinct "Boys" by Hermione which was covered by more laughter as they saw Harry jumping on his food and wolfing it all down.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Chapter 7**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter_

_A/N: I know this chapter is short, but I have got to study for my tests which are coming up. And with that I am still searching for a Beta reader._

_Reviews are very, very much appreciated. So please do review. (It's not so hard!)_

After Breakfast Remus and Tonks had to go somewhere, Hermione went to her room saying "I will just go through Dumbledore's notes one more time." That left Harry and Sirius to have some time together which Harry was really looking forward too. They both went to the main room made themselves comfortable and sat in-front of each other. Harry wouldn't tell this to anyone but it was so weird that you thought is dead for nearly two years sitting in front of you.

"How does it feel like?" Harry asked before he could stop himself. Seeing his confused looked at him again and asked "How does it feel like behind the veil?"

"I rarely remember anything about it." Sirius confessed.

"You remember nothing about it?" Harry asked surprised.

"Well I do remember but not much. What I do remember is that it was a very-very unique experience." Sirius started.

"What was it like?" Harry asked again wanting to know.

"It's like you have never felt before; I can't even describe it, the moment you fall into the veil it feels like as though you are getting sucked into a hole, into another dimension. It's as though you are floating in air. It is the most amazing thing you have ever felt." He said to Harry.

"I have to ask you this- were you dead or lost in another dimension?" Harry asked looking down at the floor not wanting to see his face when he answered him.

"Technically – I was dead, yes." Sirius whispered.

"So, that means you saw them?" Harry asked in a small voice.

"Yes. James and Lily were there." He repeated again smiling softly staring into space.

"How were-are they?" he asked him now looking at him.

"They are together and are very, very happy Harry. They miss you too- a lot. You should see them Harry, they are in bliss, and the happiest I have ever seen them till now." He looked at Harry and continued "They love you too Harry very much, Lily most of the time kept asking me how you were, who were you in Hogwarts, you friends, the way you performed in Hogwarts. James was more interested in what position you play in Quidditch, did you play any pranks on people, and any girlfriends… you know those types of questions."

"Really they asked you about me?" Harry said his eyes shining slightly and excited.

"Of course they did. They are very proud of you Harry. Lily blew up when she came to know that you were staying with her sister Petunia, it took us a long time to calm her down."Sirius said looking at Harry with a small smile on his face.

"I really do miss them Sirius." Harry admitted in near whisper.

"They miss you too Harry, more than you would ever know." Sirius replied to him looking at him, straight in the eye.

"It is just that I don't know anything about them, when any one sees me the first time they say that I look like my dad- James but have got my mother's eyes- Lily's eyes. Am I only that Sirius?" He asked Sirius in anguish. He got up and started walking to and fro in front of Sirius not allowing Sirius to answer he spoke again. "it always makes me feel that they are comparing me with them, as though I am being tested at every point of whatever I am doing, even Snape, when he looks at me he see's dad. It's just not fair you know. I am me not my parents. It's like just because I am their son they expect me to do something extra ordinary. It's just not fair Sirius." Harry said sighing and then sat back in his abandoned chair.

He felt his throat tighten and know forming. He put his supported his head with his hand and mumbled "It's just so not fair."

"It is not fair to you."Sirius agreed.

"Will you tell me about them, Sirius? Tell me about mum and dad." Harry pleaded to him.

"Of course Harry, it is my fault that I couldn't tell you about them before. Remus and I will tell you all you need to know and more. We can also ask Hermione and Tonks to come too, which is if you want to." Sirius added hastily.

"Of course Sirius." Harry replied. "You are the only family I have Sirius." Harry said after few moments for which he only got a hug in return.

Tonks and Remus returned an hour later. After the very emotional talk between Harry and Sirius, Sirius went to his room and Harry joined Hermione in reading the journals of Dumbledore. As Harry was reading the journals he now most certainly believed that Dumbledore was mad, not that he didn't know it before but now he was hundred percent sure. One minute he is writing about his plan about Horcrux and then in the second line he would be writing about the exquisite taste of Lemon Sherbet. At last he couldn't keep up with Dumbledore's plan to ruin his life with sometimes vivid description of his socks or his favourite chocolate. He kept the Journal and on the table, a quite "Got to get out of here" to Hermione trying not to look the way her shirt was sticking to her body at right place went to the kitchen where he was pleasantly surprised to see Remus and Sirius making lunch for them.

"Don't you have house elf's Remus?" Harry asked Remus.

"Not he doesn't." came the reply from Hermione who was standing behind him.

"Why?"

"Because you don't need one when we are perfectly capable of doing things on our own." Tonks replied who was sitting on the platform swinging her legs chewing an apple.

"Exactly." Hermione announced happily.

"Hungry?" Sirius asked them all after few minutes of silence.

"Hell yah!" Came the enthusiastic reply from Harry."Well that said it all." Hermione said dryly causing Tonks to chuckle.

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	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Chapter 8**

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All characters, places, and all other materials are property of JK Rowling. I am not making money off of this.

Review, it's not that hard too. I have reviewed for so many stories, I am Serious! (And no I'm not calling out your inner Sirius!).

Harry tossed from one side to another in his bed from time to time. Sleep wasn't coming to him that night. Excepting his defeat he sat up in his bed. He rubbed his eyes and wore his spectacles. He didn't know how time had passed so quickly after lunch. Lunch was absolutely mouth watering made by Remus and Sirius. Sitting in his bed he could remember the conversation they had during lunch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So where did you both go?" Hermione asked Remus and Tonks breaking the silence which had fallen upon when they sat for lunch.

"You owe me ten Galleons, Remus." Tonks declared sticking her tongue out to Remus. While Remus just sighed and shook his head

"What?" Harry asked little confused as to where was the conversation going.

"Nothing Harry, Tonks here had a bet with me for ten Galleons that it will be Hermione who will ask the question and I bet it will be you. You just lost me ten Galleons, Harry." Remus said shaking his head with a small smile playing around his lips.

"You both are still so childish." Hermione muttered which was heard by everyone sitting there.

"Hey!" Tonks shouted at her a little offended but Hermione just rolled her eyes at her.

"Anyway, where were you both, Remus and Tonks?" Sirius quickly asked diverting the attention.

"Order's meeting." Remus replied tight-lipped.

"What! Order is still running?" Harry asked shocked at the revelation.

"Yup, we were shocked too when we were summoned today." Tonks replied back.

"So happened in the meeting?" Hermione asked her brows furrowed.

"Nothing interesting but we know that Hermione's is working because none of the others were suspicious about Harry's were bouts, they still think he is with the Dursleys." Remus said as he looked at Hermione who averted had her gaze.

"And that'd all?" Harry asked sceptically.

"Yup, waste of time." Tonks agreed and fell silent.

"I have a question." said Hermione looking at the three of them.

"What is it?" Remus asked her.

"How do get called for the meeting, I mean does the Order uses a Patronus or something?" asked a curious Hermione.

"Well they don't really use a Patronus, it was Dumbledore's idea that when one wanted a meeting to take place it would flash in their respective minds. Then you are supposed to respond to it by flashing a message in your mind as you will be there or won't be their due to some work but if you ignore it you get a killer head ache."

"Is that even legal?" Harry wondered aloud.

"Huh, you know Dumbledore, he doesn't care if it's legal or not. He just cares his work to be done in any way- legal or illegal it doesn't matter to him." Tonks said.

"I agree."Remus said nodding his head.

"What about you Sirius, did you feel it when Tonks and Remus were summoned for the meeting?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Nope, didn't feel a thing." Sirius shook his head.

"Maybe it is because you were behind the veil." Harry said in deep though as Sirius shrugged.

~~~~~~~~~~~END OF FLASHBACK. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sighing he got up from his bed knowing in no way he could fall back to sleep anytime soon. He closed his door softly behind him as he left his room. He immediately turned right towards the kitchen to have a mid-night snack when he saw light pouring out of Hermione's room. He stood in front of her door picked his hand to knock on the door but found that he couldn't. He was frozen with a feeling which he couldn't express in words. He looked at what he was wearing, shorts, which were lying low on is hips and a cut off sleeves white shirt another hand me down form Dudley. He moved closer to the door and stared at it willing himself to open the door, as he thought to himself "It's just 'Mione, nothing to be nervous about."

"_Be Brave, Be Brave… I am a Gryffindor. I am a man! For God's sake. Where is the courage? Gryffindor Courage Gryffindor Courage __**I **__am a Gryffindor." _Giving himself a pep talk he knocked softly on the door of her room.

"Come in." Hermione called.

Harry opened the door with a soft push and saw Hermione lying on the bed on her stomach, swinging her legs in air reading something from a book with at most concentration. She was surrounded with papers and books all around her. She too was wearing a white tee which seemed to have ridden up showing her smooth, soft, small, white- like milk waist and short which had also ridden up thanks to gravity. Harry's eyes immediately latched on to Hermione's smooth, long legs which were moving to and fro and then stared at her waist.

"Harry, what are you doing so late?" Hermione asked as she got up and sat down on the bed pulling her shirt down, and looking at him worriedly.

Harry was stunned by her sudden beauty and couldn't answer her, he cursed himself of not noticing her before, the way he was noticing her now then he remembered the love potions and felt angrier towards the Weasley's than before. He snapped back from his stupor when he saw Hermione patting the place next to her on the bad and calling out to him.

"Not- nothing, looks like you are busy, sorry to disturb you. I will see you later." He stumbled over his words as he came out off the room as quickly as he could.

He walked towards the kitchen; he could still here Hermione calling him from her room. He noticed that there was no one there. "Of course no one in their sane mind would be here." Harry thought to himself sarcastically. After having a glass of pumpkin juice he again went to his room to lay down, put his spectacles away on the side table and closed his eyes hoping to fall asleep. The moment he closed his eyes, all he saw was Hermione, her magnificent legs which the capability of causing traffic jams, her waist which was just perfect for her. He saw her short jeans skirt and a bottle green shirt, the same dress which she had worn to Private Drive. He saw her curves, which didn't know until then had existed.

Sighing he got up and decided to act as a Gryffindor and go to Hermione's room and face her hoping to feel better. He got up, picked his spectacles again and started off to her room. He knocked on the door and pushed it open. Hermione had changed her position. She was now sitting on the bed a blanket covering her, her back was being supported by the head rest; she was again going through something which was there in her hand. She looked up and saw Harry at the door. Her face immediately turned to a worried one.

"Harry, what happened?" Hermione asked him.

"Nothing, I just couldn't sleep." She just nodded and agreed to his answer though not satisfied by it.

Hermione patted the space besides her inviting him just like before. Harry immediately went to it. She held the covers for him to get in.

"Comfortable?" she asked.

Harry just nodded in content.

"Why aren't you sleeping yet?" Harry asked her after some time.

"Not feeling sleepy." Harry looked at her and saw that s could barely keep her eyes open.

"Hermione!" Harry sighed, he sat up on the bed and took all the things and kept it on the side table with slight fight put up by Hermione in not wanting to be disturbed. He then pulled her down so she too was sleeping on the bed, their faces in front of each other.

"Don't work so hard Hermione." Harry said.

"I wasn't!" Hermione lied.

"'Mione, don't lie to me. You are very, very dear to me. I don't want anything to happen to you." Harry said in a near whisper.

"Oh! Harry." Hermione sighed and put her hand on his cheek.

"Harry, tell me about the _Dursley's_." Harry asked Hermione suddenly as she pulled her hand back.

Harry got ready to tell her when he saw her fighting a yawn; smiling to himself he moved forward slightly and said "Tomorrow."

"But-" Hermione started to resist.

"Tomorrow Hermione, I promise." Harry said little exasperatedly.

"Okay." Hermione admitted grudgingly after she yawned at last.

"Tomorrow, Harry." Hermione whispered.

"Yes." Harry agreed.

It wasn't late that both were asleep together lost in their dreams.

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	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Chapter 9**

Hey Readers,

After your amazing reviews I couldn't stop myself from writing a new chapter. I know its short but it's what I could come up with in a short time.

Reviews are very much welcome.

Hermione opened her eyes feeling very warm and protected. She started at whatever was in front of her- the wall. She sighed and turned herself full one eighty degree when she felt something or rather someone restricting her to do so. She looked down and saw a very familiar arm around her waist as it tightened slightly around and then felt Harry mutter against her hair in his sleep. A smile stretched her face as she felt Harry's hard chest on her back. Taking her own time she turned slowly and softly facing his. She saw Him sleeping right in front her peacefully without any worry in the world. She knew that the last few days were hell was hell for him and her both. But nothing could compare what was hone to Harry, it was just so unfair for him, to be betrayed by everyone you had trust.

First the return of Sirius which was very, very risky something she wouldn't have done it for anyone…except Harry. He deserved it. She knew deep down that if it were anyone else, even her she wouldn't have done it. Never. The only exception in everything for her was Harry. "He deserves the best after all that he has been through."

"He looks so calm." She thought as she observed him. She observed him, looked at him as though she was looking at him the first time ever. "Whenever he is awake his face is always masked with worry and fear; fear for others around him." The thought passed in her mind. Just see him smile she agreed to take the risk, the risk of getting Sirius back from behind the veil. So see him smile again, to make him feel that there still are people who care for him that she cared for him…maybe more than friends. She shook her head lightly shooing the thought away. This was not the right time, not when he doesn't know whom to trust and whom not to.

"There is never a right time sweetie; you have to make the time right." She remembered her mother whispering right before she left to pick Harry up. She is always amazed the way she could read her so easily and with ease. Her parents knew that there was something going on the magical world but they never tried to stop her. Not even once. She is lucky to get parents like that and she is forever thankful for it.

Her eyes again found Harry's face. His face so smooth. Tentatively she moved her hand to his face and brushed his jaw with her thumb. When she saw that he wasn't disturbed by it, she stared skimming and brushing her hand to his face trying to memorize every bump, his smoothness and roughness due to the growth of facial hair. She remembered her reaction very well when she came to know about Dumbledore and the Weasley's.

She always though Headmaster Dumbledore as the greatest and the most powerful headmaster ever in the history. She used to feel so proud studying in Hogwarts under Dumbledore's watchful eye. He was her role model someone who always knows what is right and what is not, and the moment she came to know his ugly and bitter truth, she was shattered. And to add to the burn she came to know about the Weasley's, who in her eyes were the ideal family. She felt disgusted knowing them. She couldn't believe that they took money from Harry's account for them staying them and having food there.

She felt sick. She felt as though she didn't know whom to trust anyone anymore. Then she thought about Harry. Poor Harry, She sighed and brushed the hair out which were falling on his eyes. She caught a peek at his scar. The scar which makes him different from the others, which makes him "The boy who lived" from plain Harry. She brushed her thumb over it and sighed again.

"Don't sigh so much, you will get wrinkles." Harry mumbled his eyed fluttering.

"What?" she asked as she quickly snatched her hand away from his face.

"I said don't sigh so much, you will get wrinkles." He said smirking at her.

"What! That's rubbish." She said in a no non-sense voice.

"Not from what I have heard." He replied.

"Harry you goof." She exclaimed and sat up in the bed.

"Sleep well?" she asked.

"Best I had in many years." Came her reply.

"Harry you promised." Hermione said pleading him to tell her about the Dursleys.

Harry slowly nodded and pulled her down, lying next to him. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything, everything." She shrugged.

"Well the Dursley's don't really like magic that much, and neither did they liked my parents, so when I came along, they were pretty mad. You see my aunt was jealous of my mum's magical abilities; and last year I came to know that when my mum got her acceptance letter from Hogwarts, she wrote a letter to Dumbledore, asking if she could also study there even without any magic in her." Harry paused as he saw her eyes went wide.

He just smiled and continued "Dumbledore had rejected her kindly but then she came to know that my mum knew about the letter and that made her hate her more, she even started to pretend that my mum did not exist. And it also made her to stop liking magic. So when I was left at their place, she hated me to as I was a constant reminder of her sister. They think wizards are filth." He finished and looked at Hermione. Hermione's eyes had turned a little watery. She knew how much Harry hated her cry so, she cleared her throat and looked away for a second.

Changing the subject she said "We should get going."

"But why?" he whined. "Let's just go back to sleep."

"We can't, its already late and we have to before Sirius-"Hermione never got to finish her thought, because she heard a knock on the door and almost immediately the door opened and saw Sirius peeking in "Hey Hermione, you seen Harry. I am not able to find –" He stopped short when he saw Harry and together on the bed rapped in the blanket.

"Never mind" he said and went out.

"No Sirius-"Hermione started but he had already left.

"Harry, go to your room fast get ready. We have to explain him that we did nothing last night. Fast Harry!"She said pushing him off the bed as she got up from the bed .

"Okay, okay. I am going." Harry said as he went out of the room.

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	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Chapter 10**

A/N: New chapter for all of you here. I hope you like it.

REVIEW and it makes me happy, so review.

Harry was the first one to reach kitchen and saw Sirius sitting there on the table in deep thought. He looked up and saw Harry and a sly smile crossed his face.

"So…?" He asked him. His eyes shining in mischief as he wiggled his eyebrows and smirked at him.

"So, what?" Harry asked him feigning innocence.

"Don't act so innocent Harry; you know what I am talking about." Sirius mock scolded Harry.

"Nothing happened Sirius." Harry said hoping he would take a hint and drop the topic.

"That wasn't nothing I saw." Sirius asked suggestively destroying Harry's hope.

"What did you see?" Harry asked him, his interest slightly peaking.

"Now, why would you be so interested even though 'nothing happened'?" he said grinning loving the way how troubled he was being over nothing.

"Sirius..." Harry growled in warning

"You both looked like two people who really like each other maybe love too, enjoying the moment." He replied with ease as he stopped teasing him.

"Well it was nothing." Harry said felling a little disappointed as it was nothing more than that. He shook the feeling away.

"Then what was it?" Sirius persisted by asking him again.

"I wasn't feeling sleepy yesterday night so I went to her room and saw her awake. We spoke for a few minutes and then fell asleep."

"That's it?" Sirius asked doubtfully.

"Yup." He said as he saw Tonks and Remus entering the room.

Hermione had still not come down stairs. Breakfast was served and they all sat to have it when Hermione burst in to the room and immediately shouted at Sirius as she saw him "We did not sleep together Sirius." Harry just shook his head in hopelessness and groaned.

"You slept with someone?" Tonks asked Hermione pointing a finger to her and Harry who was banging his head on the table.

"They didn't know?" Hermione wailed in despair as she said heavily on the chair next to Harry looking at him for her answer.

"No." Harry said knowing the amount of teasing to come in the following days.

"You both slept together?" Tonks asked gain slightly shocked.

Hermione just shook her head and dropped it on the table, cursing herself for opening her mouth without seeing the situation. Sirius just smirked happily looking at Harry's and Hermione's tortured expressions, storing it in his memory for future use.

"How was it?" Tonks asked loudly looking at the both of them while Remus exclaimed "What! Sirius did you give a talk to Harry about Bird's and bee's?" he questioned Sirius.

"No not yet, I thought that I had to give the speech in next two years. I underestimated him." He replied smirking thoroughly enjoying what was happening right in front of him and was in no way going to stop it.

"Was it good?" Tonks asked again eagerly.

Hermione cringed at that and knew by the look on Sirius's face that he wasn't going to stop this insane conversation, she had to stop it; she couldn't take it anymore, any longer and stood up and screamed at the top of her voice "Shut up!" and everyone became silent immediately.

"Harry and I did not sleep together. We just slept together in a bed; wait that came out wrong." Hermione said to herself.

"What Hermione is saying is that we were both talking and fell asleep." Harry took control from there. Hermione shot him a thank you look at him.

"You didn't sleep with him." Tonks asked in disbelief and looked as though someone had told her that magic wasn't real ignoring the look on Harry's face.

"No." Hermione said in the tone which ended that conversation. There was silence for a few minutes then Sirius spoke up.

"Where were you Remus, I searched you in your room, you weren't their?"

"When was this?"

"Yesterday night." Sirius said and almost immediately Tonks choked on the pumpkin juice which she was having.

"Are you alright Tonks?" Harry asked her smirking.

"Y-yes, just bloody perfect." She said quickly putting on a fake smile.

"So where were you Remus? The library may be." Hermione asked him now a small smile playing on her lips as they all ganged up on the both of them.

"No, I checked their too." Sirius assured her

"So where were you?" Harry asked him.

"Uumm... Uuhh… you see I saw… I was" Remus spoke looking at Tonks for some help and he stuttering and trying to make up an answer.

Tonks slowly covered Remus hand with hers which was on the table took a deep breath looked at Remus nodded her head closed her eyes and said "He was in my room, sleeping in my bed." She said turning red. There was silence then Sirius blutered "At last!"

Tonks opened her eyes and saw Remus's face red with embarrassment. Harry and Hermione were looking at both of them with a smile on their faces and Sirius was smirking at them and wiggling his eyebrows.

"So… what was Remus doing in your room?" Harry asked her with an evil glint in his eyes.

"We were doing what you supposedly weren't doing yesterday night." Tonks said gaining her confidence.

Remus choked on his spit and turned toward her and whispered sharply "Tonks!"

"What?" she asked him innocently. "They kind of know it anyway-Right?"

"Yup from the day I was here." Harry spoke up.

"See!" she said.

"So you all are not really surprised are you?" Remus finally spoke.

"Nope." Sirius spoke up still wiggling his eyebrows.

"It wasn't that difficult to figure out, anyway." Hermione said.

They all had resumed eating when Hermione spoke up again. "I want you three to train me and Harry." She said looking at Remus, Tonks and Sirius.

"Wow that was not totally out of the blue." Tonks said sarcastically as she covered her surprised at her words.

"Yes I agree I have been thinking about that too." Remus agreed as he ignored Tonks.

"Does it mean that you will teach us spells and all sorts?" Harry asked them getting curious about it as time passed.

"Well I was thinking something like Auror training." Tonks suggested.

"Yah, we'll include some muggle training as well as spells." Sirius agreed.

"Yup, but before that we have to shopping!" Tonks intervened.

"What is shopping got to do with this?" Sirius asked her.

"Well we need proper clothes for training and neither of them have it." She replied motioning towards Harry and Hermione.

"We can always transfigure our old clothes." Hermione suggested, not wanting to think about shopping. Everyone almost agreed but stopped when they looked at Tonks expression and quickly agreed to get ready for the day.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go." Tonks said jumping around as the others walked down the stairs two hours later.

"Okay, okay" Remus said sighing hoping to calm her down.

"How are we going there?" Hermione asked. Remus had suggested staying in the muggle world and shop there so that they won't be recognized by the people. And they all agreed.

Sirius went out of the door and stood in front of a car which neither Harry nor Hermione had seen before and said "In this of course."

"Wow!" Harry exclaimed.

"Where did you get that from?" Hermione asked him, raising her right eyebrow in suspicion.

"Oh! You know from here and there." He replied looking uncomfortable by the topic.

"You stole it!" Tonks said accusingly.

"Well, get inside and let's go shopping." Sirius said hastily as he quickly sat in the car and waiting for everyone else to do the same. They all sat in the car comfortably. Sirius was driving; Tonks was sitting on the other front seat as she knew the place where they were going to shop from. That left Remus, Harry and Hermione to sit at back. Harry sat in between of Hermione and Remus. He could feel Hermione being pressed to his left. He had the urge to hold her hand and caress her but then he remembered the speech by Sirius.

~~~~~~~~~~FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~

Breakfast was over and everyone had gone to do their own work. Harry started to follow Hermione when Sirius caught hold of him.

"Just a minute Harry, apparently we need to have a talk about boys and girls." He said as he threw his hand on his shoulder.

"Oh shit" Harry mumbled

"Yeah oh shit indeed" Sirius agreed.

~~~~~~END OF FLASHBACK~~~~~

Harry had never been as embarrassed as he had been then. His face and ears were red and wanted to just go to his room, lock himself up and never show his face to anyone else. But his planned was soon ruined when Tonks had asked him to come with then for shopping and if he didn't, she would blast open his door and Harry believed her.

Soon the car jerked as it stooped and Sirius's voice rang in the car "We are here."

Hermione groaned beside him. "What happened?" Harry asked her worried.

"I hate shopping." Hermione replied miserably. Harry just patted her shoulder and stepped outside in the humid weather.

"Come you guys this place is great and we will get everything we want." Tonks said to the four of them who were still near the car whereas she had already reached the store. Hermione again groaned and rested her forehead on the car.

"What do we want exactly?" Remus asked hesitantly.

"A new wardrobe for all of you." She said as she had started walking leaving behind the four grumbling under their breath.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Sirius protested as he looked down to his clothes.

"Sirius, sweetie have you seen what you wear?" Tonks asked him. Before he could reply she again spoke "Look Remus and Harry are in dire need of new clothes and you have to agree with me on that and after you have returned from the veil you are wearing the same clothes again and again and I think you need new clothes. So please don't irritate me okay?" to which the three men had shut their mouths and nodded silently

"I don't need a new wardrobe." Hermione insisted for the nth time as Tonks started to give her clothes to have already done the same routine another four to five was her turn now. After Harry, Remus and Sirius it was her turn and after shopping for her they could return back to their home sweet home, the meaning of which she finally understood then.

"Yes you do honey."

"I agree, you have such a fantastic body, the body people die for, why not show it off?" the saleslady spoke up.

"I don't want to show my body and I like my clothes." She snapped.

"How did you get the body anyway?" Another salesgirl asked her who had seen her while she was changing clothes as looked down at her own body. "What exercise routine do you follow?"

"Loads of adventure with my friends." She replied smiling wryly as she looked at Harry who was sitting outside the shop with Remus and Sirius who were all tired by the shopping they have being doing from the morning, smiled back at her when he saw her looking at him.

"Is that your boyfriend?" the salesgirl asked as she saw the interaction between her and Harry.

"No." she replied blushing slightly "He's my best friend." She continued.

"Okay." The salesgirls accepted the answer though not believing it. Hermione took the clothes which were given by Tonks and went to the changing room while grumbling under her breath. As soon as she was out of sight the same sales girl asked her again "Are they really not together?"

"Yup." Tonks said. "But not for long." She added with an evil smile.

"Good, because they really do look as they are made for each other." Said the salesgirl wistfully.

"I know they are made for each other and they deserve each other too." Tonks said with a soft smile.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Chapter 11**

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter, J.K. does, and she has every right to do whatever she thinks is best for Harry Potter. I just love writing.

Review, review, review. :)

Sirius, Remus and Tonks were sitting in the kitchen on an early morning. It's been three days since the insane shopping mania and it was finally the day Hermione and Harry will start training by all the three of them. Harry and Hermione tried to find out what training were they going to be put through but the other three were tight lipped about it. Whenever either of them would ask the three about the training and what will it be about they would get "It's a surprise." Or "Be patient." Or they would simple avoid it by talking about something completely irrelevant.

Tonks checked the time from her wrist watch "Well… time to wake them up." She announced as pushed herself and she stood up from the chair."I will get Hermione, Sirius you get Harry an Remus you start setting up the place." She ordered them as she got up and went to Hermione's room to wake her up.

Sirius got up from his place rubbing his eyes, to wake up Harry but Remus could a glint in his eyes "I think I should wake him up, why don't you set up here." He suggested though already knowing the answer to it.

"Nope, I am going to wake him, Tonks order." He said grinning.

Remus sighed and shook his head and he called behind him "Only wake him up Sirius, nothing else." He warned.

"Remus, you actually think I am that evil to wake him any other way other than shaking him lightly and waking him slowly and steadily in this early, bright morning." He asked him in an innocent tone the glint in his eyes now pronounced than ever.

"I know you Sirius, do not prank him; at least not now, not this early." He said.

"Yes master." He mocked him as he went to wake his godson up.

Sirius went to Harry's room and pushed it open. He allowed himself and smiled at the scene in front of him; Harry sleeping on the bed without any worries he almost didn't want to wake him up where the keyword being almost. He went near him and called him.

"Harry..."

No response.

"Harry…come on get up." Sirius called again.

"One more time." He thought.

"Harry, get up. Today your training starts. Harry… Harry get up, Harry." He called last time.

"You asked for it." He mumbled under his breath as he smirked at his sleeping form in front of him.

"Aguamenti!" he exclaimed, drenching Harry with ice cold water which seemed to wake him up immediately.

"Aahh!" Harry got up screaming, drenched from head to toe. He sprang out of the bed and instantly snatched his spectacles from the side table and saw Sirius standing at the edge of the bed smirking down at him.

"Oh! Good you are wake, get up it's your first day of training." He said innocently as he slipped out of the room with a raging Harry following him soon after.

"Sirius, you better run, because when I get you… you surely will be dead" Harry growled and ran behind him. Both of them quickly reached the kitchen and saw Remus, Tonks and Hermione staring at them. They both immediately stopped running. Hermione had already changed into her exercise clothes. She was wearing a sports bra and track pants.

Sirius and Harry stood in front of them. Harry was drenched. His clothes were sticking to his body, strands of dark, black hair sticking to his forehead. He looked like a drenched cat.

"What happened?" Hermione asked them. Harry couldn't speak. He was spell bounded. He stared at her slim, sleek waist which was uncovered. He felt that the piece of skin was calling him to touch it and caress it. She looked amazing in her clothes. It looked as though the clothes were meant to fit her. It fit her so well. She looked so… sexy.

"Harry?" she asked again. This snapped Harry of his musings bringing him to the real world. He shook his head.

"Sirius." Harry said his name in disdain and everyone knew what had happened. Shaking his head he turned and went to his room to change. "Watch out Sirius." He called as he turned towards his room.

"I warned you." He heard Remus say to Sirius. 'You better watch out' Harry thought as a sly smile slide on his face. Within minutes Harry had changed into his exercise clothes. He was wearing a loose shirt and track pants which were for the first time fit him right.

"So, what are we doing today?" Hermione asked them excitedly as Harry joined them.

"Run." Remus spoke.

"We are going to run, just that?" Harry asked doubtfully.

"Yup." Tonks said standing on her toes for no reason.

"But where?"

"You haven't seen our backyard, have you Harry?" Remus asked.

"No…"

"Well come on then." Remus said as he went to the backyard. The sight before Harry's eyes baffled him. The backyard was huge. It was a surprising scene for Harry. The place was full of greenery. Grass with dew drops growing all over the place, trees shading the whole place. The size of the backyard was of the size of one and a half Quidditch fields. There was a pond at the side. There were tracks made for Harry and Hermione to run in. one lap must be one a mile and more.

"Well… start running." Sirius said snapping Harry from his musings.

"How many laps?" asked Hermione as she tied her hair in a tight bun on the top of her head.

"We'll see..." Tonks replied.

"What do you mean by that?" Harry asked her.

"You both, just start running, we'll tell when you can stop." Remus said motioning to the tracks. Nodding their heads they started running together on the tracks, soon finding a comfortable speed for them both. The first two laps were easy, they ran without any problem. As they ran, their breath became irregular, they eventually started panting, their calves felt as though they were on fire. Their lungs were burning. Harry's shirt was stuck to his body as his second skin. They running their eighth lap when, at last Tonks asked them to stop. They went to the kitchen and sat down heavily on the chairs. Water was instantly presented in front of them. They drank it as though they were thirsty for weeks.

"No more." Harry said wheezing slightly.

"Yes, that's enough for today." Tonks said.

"Go freshen up, then we'll have breakfast." Remus said.

With a groan they booth stood up, pushing themselves from the table with great difficulty, still breathless. They went to their room, took a bath and then came downstairs with a new set of clothes thanks to Tonks. They both came to the kitchen together.

As they all sat for breakfast Hermione spoke up "We are only going to run… that's it, nothing more?"

"Yes, that's enough for now." Sirius said.

"Then when are we going to start with spells and all?" asked Harry.

"Soon." Remus answered.

"How soon?"

"Soon Harry." Tonks said now little irritated by his questions.

The rest of the breakfast was spent in silence except "Can I have some bread." And "Pass me the eggs." After breakfast, everyone helped to clean the table, keeping the utensils at their right place when suddenly Tonks stilled I her movement and the plates she was carrying in her hand fell from her hand onto the floor crashing, becoming thousands of pieces.

"Tonks… Tonks what happened?" Hermione asked her immediately looking at her with concern.

"Tonks, honey… are you okay?" Remus was next as he reached next to her and put his hands on her shoulder as he shook her softly. Sirius quickly repaired the dishes as he mumbled a quite "Repairo."

Tonks slowly came into the present and spoke "There's an order meeting in an hour."

"What?" Harry asked.

"I have been called for an immediate, emergency Order meeting." She explained.

"But…" Remus said looking confused "I wasn't called for one."

"How's that possible." Hermione asked."You said that day that you all get the message together at the same time." Her question directed to Remus.

"I don't know."

"We don't have time to think about that now?" Sirius interrupter Hermione and then looked at Tonks.

"Where is the meeting?" he asked her

"Your place." She replied instantly

"This meeting has to be important, that's the only reason they would have an emergency meeting." He said again.

"Is their anyway we can listen what is going on at Grimmauld Place?" Harry asked looking at Remus and Sirius. The next he knows that Hermione is instantly on her feet and running up th stairs while everyone is looking at her retreating figure.

Half an hour later Hermione found the others in the living room in silence. "Here." Hermione said slightly breathless as she gave Tonks something covered in paper.

"What's this?" Tonks asked as she looked at it.

"Open it." She said pointing at it. Tonks nodded as she tore open the paper in curiosity as the others looked on.

"Where did you get that from?" Harry asked as he looked at the two-way mirror he had gotten from Sirius.

She saw Sirius and Remus shocked looks and Harry's questioning one "It's not the same one, but it is a replica of it and I have the other one here." She showed the other one. "I just thought that Tonks only being called and not Remus, it is strange, so if Tonks could tuck this thing in her back pocket of the jeans she is wearing now then we all can hear what's going on there." She suggested.

"That… is an excellent idea Hermione." Sirius praised her while she just blushed. She gave it to Tonks and she immediately tucked it into her pocket.

"I should be leaving now." Tonks said as she got up and slipped into the coat which Remus got for her.

"Good luck." Remus told her softly and softly kissing her. She nodded and waved at everyone and walked off to the apparating point and apparated to the Grimmauld Place. Harry, Hermione, Sirius and Remus all sat in front of the other mirror.

Tonks apparated right in front of the house and steeled herself before going in into the house. She walked through the hall carefully and saw Molly Weasley bustling in the kitchen and acting as though, it was her own kitchen.

"Tonks dear." She crooned when she saw her entering the kitchen.

"Wotcher, Molly." She replied cheerfully faking a smile at her.

"How are you doing dear?" Molly asked as she came forward and hugged her.

"I am fine molly. What about you and your family." Tonks replied stepping away from the moment she released her from her death grip.

"Oh! We are going fine." She said waving her hand "It's just a little hard, that's all. I mean Ron and Ginny are worried about Hermione and Harry and so are we, there are some problems in the ministry too and Bill…"

"What happed to Bill?"

"Oh! Nothing, he is just feeling a little lonely. He doesn't have so many friends here, you see. All of them are in Egypt. He is just having some problem in settling down, that's all." Molly said as she smiled at her.

"Why? What happened to Fleur?" she asked remembering the French beauty.

"Don't you know she isn't here; she's gone back to France to stay with her family."

When Tonks didn't say anything about it Molly spoke up "Would you do me favour dear?"

"Of course Molly."Tonks said as she grinded her teeth softly.

"How about you spend some time with Bill. You know him quite well maybe help him settle down here." She suggested. Remus growled at hearing this, his nails digging into his palm.

"Oh! Molly of course, how about I ask Remus to come with me too."

"Oh! Don't trouble him dear." Molly said her smile slipping slightly

"No, no he won't mind if I tell after all we both are going out."

"You are what?"

"Oh1 didn't you know, me and Remus are a couple." She said innocently.

"Is that so…" Molly voice faded.

"Yup."

"Well congratulations then dear." She said forcing herself to be happy for them.

"Thank you. When is the meeting going to start?"

"Just about now… how about you go to the other room, it is going to be held there." She answered excitedly.

"Something definitely big is going to happen." Hermione announced when they heard nothing from the mirror for few minutes.

"Yeah." Harry agreed with her. Remus opened his mouth to say something when they could hear someone speaking from the mirror.

Tonks entered the room which Molly had shown. She was surprised to see many of the order members who are also Auror or work with the ministry in one way or another present there. She also noticed that there wasn't anyone there who had direct contact with Harry.

"Wotcher Arthur."

"Hello Tonks." He replied as he bowed his head when he saw her.

"What's going on today?" she asked. Author was about to answer her when Mad eye Moody entered the room.

"The order meeting is starting." And everybody immediately stopped what they were doing and gave him hundred percent attentions. Today's meeting is very important and is very, very special.

"May be it will be best if I would explain it to them, Alastor." A voice came from the other room. And right in front of their eyes, came Albus Dumbledore walking into the room, looking anything but dead.

Then the chaos broke out.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Chapter 12**

A/N: Hey here's a new chapter for you readers.

Review, review, review… It makes me happy.

_"May be it will be best if I would be the one to explain it to them, Alastor."_ They heard a voice which was unmistakably Dumbledore's coming from the mirror. Sirius's mouth fell open in surprise and Remus froze in astonishment.

"Oh! My Merlin." Hermione whispered in shock looking at the mirror lying on the table.

"He has come out in open!" Harry said incredulously as he recovered from the shock.

"Sshh." Remus shushed all of them as she heard Dumbledore's voice again coming from the mirror.

Tonks was shocked too. To say it mildly that she was blown out of her mind, like someone had performed a "Reducto" to her head. She didn't fail to notice though that Molly and Arthur were standing back of the room looking at all the others with smug expressions over their face. "They knew." She thought grimly.

"Silence." Dumbledore called out and the reaction was immediate. Everybody stopped their talking and Tonks from her musings, making everyone stare at him.

"Albus, you are alive." Professor McGonagall exclaimed after a brief period of silence.

"Indeed Minerva." He replied looking very amused at her reaction.

"But how is this even possible?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked him in his deep, heavy voice, surprise pasted on his face.

"That is a very interesting question Kingsley."

"Then Begin." Tonks spoke up now urging him to continue, and a little irritated, worried and anxious by the sequence of happenings now.

"Why don't you all sit down? It is after all a long story." He answered as he waved his wand and materializing chairs for all of them.

"Comfortable?" A murmur of approval was heard.

Clearing his throat he started "Well as you all knew that the day I was 'killed', I had been out on a mission with Harry. We both were not present in Hogwarts for a couple of hours. Thanks to Severus, I had already known in advance that the Death Eaters would take over Hogwarts and they had planned to kill me; and Draco Malfoy was the one to do it. You see it was like a test for me, weather he could do this task for his master and was also a punishment for him, a punishment for the mistake which was done by his father; Lucius Malfoy. So I started planning, that particular day was planned by me very carefully. I had to 'kill' myself to show Voldemort that I had been killed because I knew he wouldn't stop until he did 'kill' me. It took me a couple of weeks in advance to plan everything out, what had to be done when. The plan was to go with Harry to the place from where I had to retrieve something, something very important."

"What?" Kingsley asked him.

"Forgive me; but I won't be able to reveal that." Dumbledore said when he saw many order members opening their mouth to argue with him when he spoke up again not allowing them to interrupt him "I will tell you, but not now. You will all come to know at the right time, don't worry."

"What is he talking about?" Sirius asked instantly to Harry and Hermione as he heard Dumbledore say at the other end of the mirror.

"We'll tell you later Sirius." Hermione said not once looking away from the small book as she took down notes of what was happening in the meeting in her book.

Sirius looked at them doubtfully "We will Sirius, we swear." Harry reassured him and throwing him a glance and then looking back at Hermione's notes, adding something here and there in case she had missed something to write down. Sirius accepted his defeat and nodded his head and listened to Dumbledore again.

"So after Harry and I returned to Hogwarts; with Harry's help as he apparated us both to Hogsmeade and then we flied to Hogwarts to my office directly, I immediately came to know that the war had started; I saw the dark mark floating in the air. I had asked Severus to put it up so that I would know when it all starts. We both landed in my room and I knew that it wasn't long that the death eaters would come up here with Mr. Malfoy so I made Harry hide behind my desk and petrified him and put his cloak upon him so he would be invisible, safe and out of the war zone, I also did that so that he wouldn't interfere in what I had planned for weeks. As here everyone knows that he has a saving people thing, very well said by his friend Ms. Granger-"

"Sorry." Hermione mouthed to Harry when he looked at her as Dumbledore was saying this. Harry simply shrugged and squeezed her hand.

"-What Harry didn't know was that when during the time I hid him I made a doppelganger and made myself invisible."

"Ingenious." Someone whispered from back. Dumbledore heard and just smiled back.

"So that means that Severus-"Minerva spat his name out "killed your doppelganger, not you." She clarified.

"Yes Minerva."

"But didn't Harry notice your doppelganger, Dumbledore?" This times Tonks spoke up.

"Yes, he did. It took me some time produce my doppelganger."

"Then why didn't Harry remember any of-"Tonks stopped in mid sentence and the answer came to him immediately "You oblivated him!"

"I was necessary at that time." He spoke to a disbelieved Tonks. Tonks did not say anything still shocked at what he had done.

"Albus!" Minerva chastised him but he didn't answer back to her.

"So what about Severus then?" Mad eye asked him then.

"Alastor, he was simply doing what I asked him do, nothing more."

"Did he know that he killing your doppelganger?"

"Yes, he knew this, otherwise he wouldn't do it."

"And Malfoy?"

"Mr. Malfoy was ordered to kill me by Voldemort, he had no choice but do that."

"If he wouldn't do it, then what would be the consequences?" Mad eye asked.

"His mother would have been killed." There was a collective intake of breathe at that.

"So what now?" Kingsley asked interrupting the silence after some moments.

"Will you come back, Albus?" Minerva asked. "To Hogwarts?"

"As much I want to Minerva, it won't be wise to return back there."

"But why?"

"You already know the answer to that Minerva. I can't go back, because everybody thinks that I'm dead. How can I go back?"

"Then what will you do?"

"I will go into hiding."

"But there are so many rooms in Hogwarts you can stay there and not be found out." She argued.

"Minerva, I have to frequently come and go out of Hogwarts irrespective of the time." He tried to explain.

"I think it is better if he doesn't stay in Hogwarts." Molly Weasley spoke up for the first time "You can never be careful in Hogwarts, there are plenty of chances of someone seeing him."

"Then where will he live?" This time Kinsley asked Dumbledore but turned towards Molly.

"Kinsley, if I told you the place, it wouldn't be called hiding." Dumbledore answered him.

"What about Harry?" Tonks said then.

"About about Harry, Tonks?"

"Shouldn't he know- that you are alive."

"He will, but not now."

"But-"

"Not now Tonks." Tonks shut her mouth a frown marrying her face.

"I think that I have taken your time already, you are free to leave but you have to take an oath first." He spoke up again as he saw many order members becoming restless, looking at their watches.

"What kind of oath?"Mad eye asked being his suspicious self.

"An oath which will not allow you to speak about me being alive to anyone except to those who already know about it." Everybody took the oath without any resistant. Tonks immediately left not wanting to stick around in the hose any more. She apparated back and walked toward the hose. She soon felt being sprinkled by water and after a minute or so she was inside the house.

"Tonks." Remus said as he saw her entering the house and went and gave her a hug.

"I'm fine Remus." She said still hugging him. They broke apart and sat on the sofa.

"You heard the oath right?" Tonks spoke up once she settled down comfortably.

"Yes, but you can speak to us because we already know about him being alive." Harry said.

"Yes that's what I figured or else I wouldn't have done it." She said realizing a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"You wouldn't have any choice, but take the oath." Hermione said now.

"If I would have said no, then?"

"You would be oblivated." Sirius answered her.

"Would Dumbledore really do that- sorry a dumb question." He hastily said as he saw other's faces.

"Dumbledore will do anything to get his work done his way Harry; legal or illegal." Sirius spoke up.

"Yes, I know; but it doesn't make it any easier to believe it."

"I know, I have idolized him since I had stepped into Hogwarts and now he is doing all this its little difficult to take it." Hermione said agreeing with Harry. None of the others spoke anything else about it.

Changing the subject Tonks announced "The Weasley's know everything."

"What do you mean?" asked Sirius.

"Well when Dumbledore came into open, Molly and Arthur were sitting at the back of the room, I sneaked a glance at them and they looked anything but surprised seeing him instead they looked smug as though they had an upper hand it, like they know something we don't."

"It's not so surprising, actually." Remus said.

"No it isn't." Sirius agreed with him.

"So what now. Harry asked. Every one turned towards Hermione to know her views about it. Hermione's cheeks turned red when she saw all the attention was now on her. Clearing her throat she started "Well first we should find out where Dumbledore is planning to hide and think of a way how we can get the information from the Weasley's too."

"Why?" Harry asked her.

"Harry, once we know where he is staying we can keep an eye on him; and by knowing what the Weasley's know we will have an upper hand then."

"Where do you thing he can stay?" Tonks asked as she started at the fireplace deep in thought.

"The Burrow?"

"No, not up to his standards and it would be too obvious." Remus said.

"The Grimmauld Place."

"No, too dark…and dirty."

"Hey!" Sirius objected. "Dark-yes but not dirty!" Tonks snickered at this.

Remus started to say something when Hermione spoke again "You should know about the Horcrux's"

"The what?" Sirius asked baffled.

"You know what Dumbledore was talking about, for which we both had left Hogwarts that day." Harry explained.

Hermione looked at Harry, he nodded and she started "Horcrux is a receptacle in which the Dark wizard or witch has hidden a part of his or her soul for the purposes of attaining immortality. With part of the soul stored, the wizard or witch becomes immortal so long as the Horcrux remains intact, even when the body of the wizard or witch is gravely injured. Horcruxes are typically hidden in a safe location, some place which is not known by many so that they don't come in contact with anyone. Even if the wizard's body is destroyed, a portion of his soul will remain preserved within the Horcrux. "

"So what happens when the wizard who has made a Horcrux dies?" Remus asked looking very, very interested.

"When the wizard dies, it leaves the wizard or witch in a state of half-life, without a corporeal form."

"But why didn't I come across it in all the books I have read?" He asked again.

"Because the Dark magic involved in the creation of a Horcrux is considered most despicable and is therefore rarely published, even in books devoted to the Dark Arts."

"That explains it." He said nodding his head.

"But what does that got to do with Voldemort?" Tonks asked and immediately answered "Oh! My Merlin, he has made a Horcrux." Sirius and Remus looked worried too.

"How is it made?" Sirius asked.

"To create a Horcrux requires one to commit a murder, which, as the supreme act of evil, rips the soul apart. After the murder, a spell is cast to infuse part of the ripped soul into an object, which becomes the Horcrux."

"So how can Voldemort be killed then?" he asked again.

"To kill Voldemort you have to destroy a Horcrux, which will destroy the fragment of soul contained within it. Once they are destroyed, then Voldemort will be able to die a normal death when he is mortally wounded."

"So how do you destroy it?" Tonks asked.

"Well until few weeks ago I did not know the answer but then after I found Dumbledore's diaries, he had written in them that to kill a Horcrux, it should suffer damage so severe that repair through magical means would be impossible"

"And with what can you do that much damage?"Remus asked puzzled.

"I don't know." Hermione said sheepishly. "But I am trying to find it. But the problem is I don't know where to start."

"The dairies, what's written in that?" Harry asked.

"Only that the Horcrux should be damaged severely but there is nothing about how to cause the damage."

"Maybe..." Sirius started as he thought about something.

"Maybe what?"

"Maybe, you can check out the Black library. The library will have many Dark Arts books. You can read through them." He suggested.

While Hermione was esthetic to read all the amazing, old authentic books, she also knew that those books were dark. She was reluctant to do it when Remus said "Yes, and I will help you too. It will be faster that way"

"Okay." She agreed.

Suddenly Tonks said "So we destroy one Horcrux and then we kill you-Know-Who and he dies… forever."

"Not one Tonks but seven." Harry said.

"Merlin." Sirius whispered.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Chapter 13**

I know the story is very, very, very short, but next chapter will be longer. I swear.

A/N: Many people asked me that 'Why not get Harry's parents from the Veil?" I mean after all I did bring Sirius back well to that my answer is that Harry's parents died and Sirius fell into the Veil which is completely different things. Things from the veil can be retrieved ad they are just lost in another dimensions where as Harry's parents died, they can't be gotten back. It goes against the nature.

Any more questions and you can ask me, I will try my best to make you understand.

Three weeks later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"One, two, and three... thirty six… thirty seven…" and Hermione collapsed on the floor and rolled over so she was facing the roof as she breathed heavily, gulping down air greedily.

"Sirius…enough for today." She gasped out, out of breathe. She saw Harry from the corner of her eye and saw that he too was lying on the ground breathing heavily but not complaining like she was.

"No, don't stop now a few more." Sirius said as she shook his head in negative.

Hermione pressed her lips in a thin line and knew better than argue about it."Uuhh! Okay." She said accepting his command and started doing her push ups again with Harry on her side.

"Forty nine… fifty ,you can stop now." Sirius said and walked away and with that Harry and Hermione collapsed on the floor. They had been exercising from at least two hours now; they were both woken up by Remus and Tonks, Sirius wasn't allowed to wake anyone up after the prank he had pulled on Harry. After the usual two miles run, Tonks had informed them that they would start with other exercises and muggle combating too, slowly building up their stamina. They had started on push ups, pull ups; they were taught how to pull a punch and kick on a dummy.

"That's enough." Remus said as Hermione and Harry were still lying on the floor.

"From tomorrow we start with Magic, learn as many spells as you can, we are going to start duelling from tomorrow." He said nodding at both of them and then went out of the room with Tonks and soon Sirius trailing behind him leaving them both alone with each other. The room they both were lying in was specially made for exercising and combating. The room was dark but had long windows in equal distances inviting the rays on sun it, lighting up the whole room with padded floor, so that even if someone fell on it, one wouldn't be badly hurt. The room was a perfect square. Bookshelves covered one of the walls of the room which was overflowing of thousands and thousands of books Defence Against the Dark Arts volumes, Spell Books, potion books, Old and Dangerous Dark Magic which was band years ago to be read by anyone. There also were many different kinds of Dark Detectors all around the room; they were spinning around in circles or making weird noises searching for evil. Cushions were scattered all over the floor which were to be used for practicing defensive spells. On the opposite side of the book shelved wall their hung swords with jewels imbedded, knives, sharpened glittered axes, bow and arrows… many muggle weapons infused with magic making them anything but muggle weapons. Near the third wall there were statues on which they were supposed to practice spells, they would could be controlled and made to fight back.

Harry turned his head and looked at Hermione whose breath now had slowed now, but was breathing heavily. She was sweaty, they both were. Her hair had come out of her bun. She was wearing a white shirt and shorts toady. Her white shirt stuck to her body like her second skin showing her amazing curves; making her more delicious to look at. Last three days they spending almost the whole time together and it mode made Harry harder to hold back his rapidly growing feelings towards her; even harder was keeping him in check around her. His hands itched to touch her, anything-her face, her hair, hand any physical contact would be like being in heaven and every time he did feel like that he had to remind him all the time about 'The talk' which Sirius gave him which was both horrifying and awkward. It did little to stop him though. He had hold his hands down when he would see her re-doing her not under controlled but still frizzy hair and it would come out in minutes again or her bite her lips when she was thinking or when she felt just hopeless. Her Lips, Oh! Her lips, they were magnificent. She licking her dry lips sends tingles in his bod-

"What are you thinking?" Hermione said quietly afraid of breaking the silence bringing Harry out of his fantasies.

"Yo- Nothing." He stuttered.

"Are feeling fine, Harry?"

"Yeah, don't worry about me."

"I'll always worry about you, Harry." Hermione replied with a small smile. Harry took her hand which was lying in-between them and moved a little closer to her, he toyed with her fingers in silence. He turned around and covered her body with his keeping very little space between them. He supported himself with his hand so he wasn't sleeping on her. Her eyes widened and she just looked at him in silence, three weeks of exercise and full stomach had done wonders to him. He no longer looked malnutrition, instead he looked just the opposite. His almost shoulder-length black/brown hair would be tied up in a short ponytail while they were doing their exercise. A strand of hair had slipped out from his tie. Hermione pushed the strand of his hair back and tucked it behind him hair.

"Harry." She said, staring at him.

"Hermione… for all the times you worried about me, for all the timed you fought for me, for all the times you cared about me, for all the time you helped me out, for all the times you spent nights after night in the library, for all the nights you have stayed awake at night thinking about me, for all the times you have scolded me and fought with me, for all the times you took care of me after I was injured or had a bad dream and for giving me a family, I…" Harry stopped and closed the distance between them and brushed his lips with her "For all the things Hermione."

Tell me how did you like the 'moment' between Harry and Hermione right before they kissed?


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Chapter 14**

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter, but I wish I did.

New chapter for you all readers. Reviews will be great.

"No way!" said a shocked Hermione and slapped Harry's shoulder shaking her head in disbelief.

"Yes, trust me." Harry said laughing slightly.

"Are you serious!" she asked him trying to wrap her head around what he reviled. They both had not spoken about their 'kiss' which they shared between them a week ago. Neither of them wanted to speak on the topic, that topic was taboo for both of them.

"No, no… he is not Sirius, Hermione… I am." Sirius called out to her from behind her.

"Hey Sirius." Harry called out joyfully.

"Happy Birthday Harry." He said and hugged his godson. "Thanks."

As it was Harry's birthday today, Remus, Sirius and Tonks had decided to give them a break from the exercise for both of them that day. Harry and Hermione were more than happy to comply that and had caught on their sleep and rest. A day off from exercise was a boon for both of them.

"Sirius, is it true that Cockroach Clusters have real cockroaches in them?" she asked him shooting a look of disbelief at Harry.

"Yes, haven't you had one yet?" He asked. Hermione shook her head and felt a wave of nausea sweep upon her and said "I don't think that I will even have one, ever."

"What about acid pops?" she asked once the nausea had settled.

"No one has actually tried that as it will burn a hole right through your tongue… at least I have not tried, and never will." Sirius replied back. He turned towards both of them and asked "You are not hungry… are you?"

"No," They both responded at the same time.

"Why? What happened?" Harry asked immediately asked him.

"Well breakfast will be served late, because someone-" 'cough' Tonks 'cough' "tried to cook today and ended up burning the food as well as the kitchen down." Sirius replied with a twinkle in his eye.

"What! Why didn't we know about it?" Hermione asked worried.

"You both were sleeping that time and the situation was solved as soon as it started."

"No one is hurt right? And the kitchen, how bad is it."Harry asked now a little worried.

"Oh! Don't worry about it, Harry. We repaired everything and no one was hurt. So anyway breakfast will be served in around one hour." He said and bowed and left the room. Hermione turned and looked at Harry who just popped something in his mouth.

"What are you having?" she asked him.

"Chocoballs, it's full with chocolate, strawberry mousse and clotted cream… yummy. You want to taste one?" he asked her when he saw her dreamy expression.

"Yes."

"Okay." he nodded his head and took one and popped it in him mouth.

"Hey, what about me-"she was cut off as Harry came closer to her and pressed his lips to hers. Hermione gasped in surprised and Harry immediately and gently prodded his tongue into her and explored her mouth. Hermione groaned aloud, as soon his tongue touched to hers she lost all her sense of reasoning. He pushed her on her back and hovered above her not breaking the kiss she was now pinned to his bed with him above her, she immediately buried her hand in his hair and gripped it and pulled him closer to her . He held her neck as he kissed her harder now, the chocolate was now long forgotten and had completed melted only a slight taste of chocolate was lingering on both of their tongues. He broke away to catch their breath.

"So how was it?" Harry asked after few minutes still breathing heavily.

"What?" she asked him dazed and gasping for breath thinking what just happened in last couple of minutes. Harry broke her concentration again and trailed light kisses across her jaw and down her neck, sucking lightly on her pulse point, smirking against her skin when she gasped

"The chocolate 'Mione, how was it." He said with a breathy chuckle and gave a strong on her pulse point. Hermione just stared at him, she didn't answer him for few minutes then she said bewildered "Harry, you just kissed me and you want to know how the chocolate was?"

"Yes." He replied shrugging. Hermione started feeling little agitated seeing his careless attitude. She just huffed and crossed her hands and shifted from under him; sat up and backed up until her back touched the wall with her legs straight in front of her spread out.

"'Mione..." Harry said sighing but she refused to acknowledge him. "'Mione..." He called her name again but she kept ignoring him. Shaking his head he took her hand and caressed her "What do you want me to tell you." He asked her admitting his defeat.

"Why did you kiss me?" she instantly asked him.

"'Mione isn't it obvious." He said but saw her looking back at him wearing a confused expression "'Mione… I kissed you because I wanted too." He admitted.

"That's not an answer. Just because you want to kiss someone you don't just do it." She said not believing him at all.

"Okay, so why do you think I kissed you."

"That's not fair; I was asking the questions and now you have to answer it." She accused him.

"'Mione just answer... please." She opened her mouth to resist then closed it after a thought.

"I think you simply wanted to kiss me; you know for practice." She said shrugging. She saw Harry shaking his head.

"Can I ask you my gift for my birthday, 'Mione." He suddenly asked her.

"What? Where did that come from?"

"Can I?" He repeated again.

"Harry-"

"Can I?" He asked her again.

"Okay…" Still unsure where the conversation was leading too.

"Well what I want for my birthday is for today you will not lie to me."

"What? What kind of gift is that?"

"Just promise me 'Mione. She agreed grudgingly.

"You promise then?" He verified.

"Yes Harry, just get on with it."

"Okay." He said as shifted closer to her and swung one of his legs and planted it on each sides of her thigh, the sudden nearness surprised her, she gasped and her heart beat quickened. "Harry what-"

"Sshh." He shushed her as he placed his finger on her lips and locked the door with the help of his wand "I don't want anyone to interrupt us." Hermione was more confused than ever.

"Do you trust me 'Mione?" he asked her as he moved closer to her.

"Of course Harry." She replied without any hesitation.

"Good…then see in my eyes and tell me whether you love me or not."

"Harry, stop fooling around." She said as he slapped him on his chest and had started feeling uncomfortable.

"Come on 'Mione, just answer me, the sooner you do the happier I will be and remember the gift I asked you for today." His lips now on her throat sucking and licking slowly.

"Harry." She tried to protest again but he was so adamant when he wanted to.

"Tell me 'Mione, tell me the truth." He said and immediately went back to what he was doing before.

She admitted defeat and closed her eyes and whispered "Yes." She prayed to Merlin that he did not hear her answer but he was so close to her, she could feel his breathe in her hair there was no chance of not hearing what she had said. She felt Harry touch her chin coaxing her to look at him; she readied herself of seeing a smirking Harry looking down at him but when she did open her eyes she did see Harry looking down at her with smiling and his eyes shining with happiness.

"What are you so happy about?" she wondered out loud.

"And they say that you the smartest witch of the generation." He said shaking his head and bends down and brushed his lips with hers.

"That's the third time you kissed m-"she was cut off again as Harry again kissed her applying little more force than before and leaned back again.

"You know, you can't kiss me again just like that." And Harry again kissed her.

"I love you too." He whispered and planted his lips on hers. Hermione's eyes widened in surprise and pulled back so she could look at him properly.

"You do?" she asked her voice cracking in between. Harry just nodded.

Hermione pulled Harry closer to her and this time she was the one who initiated the kick. She immediately felt him react to the kiss. The kiss which had started out slow had started gaining momentum. Hermione broke off breathing heavily. "You love me." She said trying to make herself believe.

"Yes." He said with a breathy chuckle.

"I love you Harry." She spoke now little more confident, looking in his eyes. "And the chocolate was the best one I have ever had." Hermione told a grinning Harry

"I know, and I do too." He said and leaned in for another kiss. "This is my best birthday ever." He announced as he massaged her neck. Hermione gave him a bright smile.

"We should go down." She said after five to ten minutes had passed.

"Why?" he groaned. His head was now on her lap and she was roaming her fingers through his hair.

"Because, if we don't then will come up here especially Sirius. You don't want him to see us like this do you?" She said as she massaged his scald with her fingers.

"No. He won't stop about it." He said groaning in pleasure.

"Let's do then, now." She said as he got up from the bed and pulled up with him. Hand in hand they both went downstairs.

Tonks was the first one to notice them both coming down hand in hand and shortly after that they broke away. She smiled to herself and was pretty sure what was going on.

"Oh! Good you both are here… breakfast is ready." Remus announced when he saw both of them.

"I am famished." Harry said as he sat down to eat. Breakfast was soon over when Remus got up and brought the birthday cake.

"Guys, it's too much." Harry said, his cheeks now turning slight pink.

"Make a wish Harry." Tonks encouraged with a smirk on her lips. Harry frowned looking at the smirk but kept quiet and nodded. Soon, the cake was cut into pieces and was eaten by everyone. After that they went to the living room. "Time for gifts." Sirius said.

"This is my favourite part of birthdays." Tonks said smiling. Tonks got him charmed bracelet "I know you don't wear jewellery, but it's in fashion now and it also deflect backs some minor spells too." Hermione got him a book on spells and curses. The gift which blew him away was Remus and Sirius's.

They got him the trunks of his parents 'You said you wanted to know them better so got you their Hogwarts trunks." Sirius said with a shrug.

"Yeah, I had gone to Gringotts and got their trunks, they both contain their stuff like books, wand, photos etc." Remus said. Harry was choked, he could say anything so he did the only thing which came to his mind, and he hugged them both. Harry took the shrunken trunks and pocketed it. "I will go through them later." He said.

Remus coughed and said looking at Harry and Hermione "So you both want to tell us something?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione said feigning innocence.

"You very well know what we are talking about." Tonks said now smirking.

"Okay, okay… so me and Hermione are together." He said.

"How did you know?" Hermione asked them.

"Hermione, you forget that I am a werewolf I can hear and smell things." he said with very disturbing knowing grin.

"That and the red spot on your neck, has pretty much explained everything to us." Sirius said now pointing at it and wiggling his eyebrows.

"And you were holding hands when you came down." Tonks said with a huge-huge grin on her face.

"Okay, well we are together." Hermione said as Harry held her hand, smiling slightly and looking at their intervened fingers.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Chapter 15**

A/N: I am so so sorry that I took so much time to post again. I have to tell you though that 'The Daily Prophet' part, I was a nightmare. I took a day to write that part. Let me know if you like it.

Reviews are very much appreciated.

"Should I open it now?" Harry asked Hermione as he stated at the ceiling.

They both were in Harry's room; Hermione was reading a book sitting on his bed, while Harry was lying down on the bed his head on Hermione's lap. It had been three days after his birthday and he still hadn't opened Sirius's and Remus's present; the trunks of his parents. "There is no time like the present."

"Should I do it now then?"

"Harry, why are you so scared of opening their trunks?" she asked him as she bookmarked her book, kept it aside and then looked into his eyes.

"No, I am not scared." He shook his head as he tried to avert his eyes from hers.

"Harry, you really think I am going to believe that." She looked at him.

"What makes you think I am scared of opening the trunks?" he asked her.

"Harry, until now you have been dying to know about your parents, you have been pestering Sirius and Remus to tell you about them, and now that you have a chance to know them a little more better, you are not even opening their trunks. It's already been three days Harry."

"It's just that, I am scared 'Mione." He whispered.

"Scared… scared of what?" She asked now a little confused.

"What if they are different then I had imagined. What if they are not so noble or brave or happy when they were alive? What if they are nothing like I have imagined them as? Then what happens?" Harry asked softly.

"But Harry you have to find out about them, no matter how different they may be, you have got a chance to know them better no. You also have Sirius and Remus, they will tell you about them too. All you have to do is ask." She said looking in his eyes, caressing his face and gave a soft mile to him.

"Thanks 'Mione." He squeezed her hand.

"Now, go get the trunks." Hermione ordered. Harry got and opened the drawer of his side table and took out the diminished trunks. He put it on the floor.

"Engorgio." Harry said and the trunks returned to their normal size.

"Ready?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, you will stay with me, won't you?"

"Always Harry." And she held his hand. Harry nodded took a deep breath and opened the trunks. Both the trunks were old and had turned a bit rusty. They contained some clothes, books, potions, quills, old notes. His mom's trunk contained many books of different subjects. Dark Art's, Spells, Hogwarts- A History, books on fighting techniques, Potions, Transfiguration etc. He could feel Hermione itching to get her hands on the books. "May I?" she asked at last when she couldn't contain herself anymore.

"Of course 'Mione, you don't have to ask me." He smiled and touched her cheek. He immediately saw her take out the first book she put her hands on and picked it up with care. She touched the spine of the book and was in awe with it.

Harry let her be and turned to look at the trunks again. First he looked at his mother's trunk. He went through the photos of his mother's and her friends, some were of his parents together, when they were a couple and some were with Sirius, Peter and Remus when they were in Hogwarts. Looking at peter he felt bile rising up his throat, he immediately tried to divert his mind and looked through other things. He then took a look of his dad's trunk. Their few clothes, chocolates were lying on the floor of the trunk; there were a couple of books too. One in particular which caught Harry's eyes was a book whose name was 'Marauders secret'. Harry curiously opened it and saw all the pranks they had done and could be done were registered in that book. There were quite some books on spells and fighting but very less compared to his mom's trunk. As he carried on with their trunks he found their wands.

"'Mione… look." Harry showed her the wands of his mother and father he found. She took it and touched it.

"These can be useful, Harry. Keep it in a safe place." She said after she saw the wands and gave it back to him. Harry nodded and kept it in his drawer with care. Hermione by that time had already gone back to the book which she had in her hand. Harry turned towards the trunk when he heard Hermione gasp and call out for him.

"Harry." She called loudly.

"Yeah." Instantly alert and went to her.

"Harry, this book is written by your mom and Professor Snape." Excitement bubbling inside her.

"What!" Harry exclaimed.

"Yah, look here, it's written – By Lily and Severus." Hermione showed the book to Harry.

"I don't believe it." Harry said at once, after he saw the names disgust all over his face.

"Harry!" Hermione warned as he uttered a curse as he saw Snape's name written on the book.

"NO, no… maybe Sirius and Remus are just pranking me."

"Harry do you really think they will do such things to prank you?"

"I still don't believe it." He said adamantly.

"Harry." She sighed and shook her head at him. "How about we asked them ourselves?" She suggested.

"Yeah." Harry agreed nodding his head, wanting to clear up the confusion then and there.

"Later Harry." She said and pulling him down and making him sit next to her.

"Okay." He sighed as he went back to the trunks.

"This is exact reason why I didn't want to see their trunks." Hermione heard him mutter as he looked into the trunks.

It was dinner time when the topic of Harry's mom and Snape came up again. They had just finished the dinner and were all sitting in the main room, relaxing when Harry spoke up.

"So, Uumm Sirius..." Harry started.

"Yes Harry." He replied looking at him.

"Well, we were going the stuff from the trunk… tell me about Mum and Snape." He said not bothering to beat behind the bush.

Sirius halted and didn't say anything for a moment, when he did start to say he snap shut his mouth. Harry saw him doing that a couple of times after Remus spoke up, taking the matter in his hands. "Harry… Lily and Severus had a very, very unique relationship." He started calmly.

"A relationship!" Harry shouted feeling slightly disgusted.

"There is no need to shout, and no, not that kind of relationship, Harry." Remus said shaking his head.

"Yeah." Sirius agreed and wrinkled his nose at the mere thought of someone with Snape especially Lily.

"They were best friends." Remus said patently and Tonks gasped hearing that.

"They were best friends!" Hermione exclaimed.

"How is that even possible?" Harry asked looking ill.

"Well they both knew each other before Hogwarts, they both were neighbours and after Lily came to know this world; the world where the fairy tales and nightmares come alive, Severus became her guide. He told her about Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the Ministry and Azkaban. Everything he knew about magic he told her."

"So they were friends before Hogwarts and then what happened afterwards?" Harry asked them both.

"They were still friends but it was difficult for them to continue their friendship." Sirius said.

"Why?"

"Harry, your mother was in Gryffindor and Severus was in Slytherin, house rivalry."

"Yeah, house rivalry and his friends and other co-students hated Gryffindor too, so that also had put their friendship under great strain." Rums continued.

"So then what happened?" Hermione asked with great interest.

"They remained friends for a couple of years, everybody thought they both were mad, others used to make fun of both of them but that didn't hurt their friendship. Then Severus started to get more interested in Dark Arts than his friendship with her. And-" Remus stopped and hesitated but Harry spoke up before he could.

"Then he called her a mud blood." He finished. Tonks and Hermione gasped together.

"How did you know?" Remus asked him surprised by his knowledge.

"I saw it in a pensive." He shrugged "Then?" he asked wanting to move on from the subject.

"Were they ever friends again?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Yes, after he stayed outside of the dormitory for a whole night and refused to move until she came and forgave him. They were friends again but it was more strained than ever."

There was a moment of perfect silence then Tonks said in a soft voice "Then why does Snape hate Harry so much?" There was no answer to that and after a while they all got up and went on their own ways and things to do.

"Stop looking at me like that."

They were walking back from the room after the training. It had been two weeks since they were officially 'together'.

"Like what?" Harry smiled innocently, his eyes twinkling happily. His gaze drifting with deliberate slowness to her mouth before looking back up then giving a glance to her body and the curves which can be seen very clearly because of the clothes stuck to her body, her hair which was starting to come out of her bun. He then looked into her eyes, his gaze unwavering and intense.

"Like _that."_

"Why?"

"Because you make me feel…" She struggled slightly for the right word; she stopped walking her lower lip caught between her teeth wiping out the sweat from her forehead and upper lip.

"Make you feel what?" Harry stopped with her too and stepped closer to her, his breath tickling her neck.

"Incoherent." Hermione mumbled softly she went backwards till her back hit the wall with Harry following her each movements and pressing her to the wall, her eyes drifting closed at his nearness, her breathing coming out in small puffs. Harry then kissed her pinning her to the wall. The kiss was hot, steamy and with so much intensity that they both lost themselves in it. Harry's hands were everywhere, on her face, neck, thighs, waist and so were Hermione's when—

"Wow, guys… that is enough." Tonks said from behind Harry. Hermione cheeks burned in embarrassment and hid her face in his chest.

"Sorry Tonks." Harry said as he his face in Hermione's shoulder.

"Oh! It's okay, but-" She started walking towards the kitchen, "Keep it in a limit." She called back to them both teasingly with a hint of seriousness in her voice.

As soon as they heard Tonks go they disengaged from each other. "Uumm, we should go and change." Hermione suggested still flustered.

"Yes." Harry agreed and immediately went to his room. They both met up after half an hour, showered and fresh and wet to the kitchen for breakfast. The atmosphere of the kitchen was not that they had expected it was grim, serious and heavy. No one was speaking when they both had entered. Tonks was nowhere to be seen, Remus and Sirius were crowed on the table looking at the Daily Prophet.

"What happened?" Harry immediately asked. Remus and Sirius just passed the paper to him and Hermione.

The upper half of the paper was covered with a vivid image of a destroyed Hogsmeade; there was a picture of a broken Zonko's Joke Shop and a picture of a destroyed, broken bridge in muggle London.

_**You Know Who – back in open**_

_Yesterday the muggle world and our world witnessed a tragic happening. There were continuous attacks made by the Death eaters in muggle London, Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. The result was disastrous. Many killed, tortured and hurt. There hundreds of people have lost their lives and very few survivors unhurt. The death eaters mostly used the 'Avada Kedavra' and the 'Crucio'. A team of people have been send to the muggle world for damage control. What made it more disastrous was the appearing of You-Know-Who in open and killing off some wizards himself like Ollivander – the wand maker,_ _Mr. Fortescue - Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Madam Rosemerta—the owner of The Three Broomsticks . Their bodies were found tortured first, then killed. The scene looked like as though You-Know-Who interrogated them and when he failed to get what he wanted they were killed. More information will be given out later._

_To see what Minster Fudge has to say about this attack - Continued in page 12_

"This is horrible." Hermione said in a whisper.

"Where is Tonks?" Harry asked.

"Dumbledore called an emergency order meeting." Remus said.

"And he didn't call you?" she asked.

"Nope." he shrugged.

"That's odd; well did she take the mirror?"

"Yeah." Sirius said and places the mirror on the table. The mirror was blank and there was no sound coming from it.

"When did she go?" Hermione asked.

"Two minutes before you both came downstairs. She must be almost there." Remus said staring at the mirror. And as soon as he said that, voices started to come from the mirror. They all sat down keeping the mirror in the centre and Hermione quickly summoned her book to note down some notes.

Tonks apparated to 'The Grimmauld Place' and opened the door preparing herself for what to come. She knew Dumbledore had called them all because of what Voldemort and his followers had done. She went inside and immediately got immediately hugged by Molly.

"Molly." Tonks gasped at the intensity of the hug.

"Oh! Dear, I was so worried, I thought you were in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade when the attack took place and might have gotten hurt."

"I am fine Molly; I was at my place during the attack, safe." She said as she put on a fake smile for her to see. "Now when will the meeting start?"

"It's already started dear; when I saw that you were not here I thought something happened to you." Molly sobbed in relief.

"No, I was sleeping when I got the message that's why it took me so long to reach here. I better go in." Tonks said and went towards the room and opened the door. All the members of the order were present who were there for the meeting where Dumbledore showed himself.

"Tonk's you are here. Now come and sit and lets carry on I am sure everybody has lots of work stashed up in the ministry so I won't take much of your time." Dumbledore said as Tonks sat on a chair in the middle of the room.

"As I was saying, everybody has seen the paper today. The reason why we weren't informed about the attack before because Severus; our spy has not been able to meet up with me. Our other spy in the Death Eaters did inform me about it but it was already late for something to be done."

"We have another spy?" Alastor and Sirius spoke simultaneously at the other ends of the mirror shocked.

"Who's the other spy?" Harry and Tonks asked the question together.

"That Alastor, I won't be able to reveal. I am sorry but if anyone else knows about him he will be killed."

"So now what do we do?" asked Douglis, a thin built man, his hair line receding. He looked as though he had not slept for a couple of days.

"Those of who are in the ministry will help them maintain calm, peace and order once again; do damage control. Other than that there is nothing else we can do but one."

"What, we have to do something." An order member immediately said.

"Yeah, we have to recruit men and women who will help us in our fight against Voldemort. But it has to be discreet." Hestia Jones said from his seat.

"That we will do, but now is not the right time." Dumbledore said ending the discussion then and there.

"Well now that everything is covered you all can get back to work."Dumbledore said and got up and within a second he was gone. Tonks immediately left after not wanting to talk anyone else but come back home and discuss about want just happened and about the unknown and mysterious spy.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Chapter 16**

A/N: Hey readers. I know, I know its has been long time I have posted a chapter and this chapter is very, very small but I have gone out with family having a well needed holiday and I can't write while my family is having fun so please excuse me. I really am sorry.

Reviews do me sooooo good. :)

* * *

"Who is the spy?" Harry asked as he was laying on the bed his head on Hermione's lap.

"I don't know." Hermione said trying to keep the irritation she felt out of her voice.

It had been two weeks since the death eater's attack and the order's meeting and Harry was obsessed with the unknown spy. None of them had any clue as to who could 'The Spy' be. Harry was going crazy thinking over the possibilities in his free time which was the whole day except the work out and the exercise.

"But who can he be?" Harry asked again staring at the ceiling.

"The spy can be a she too, Harry." Hermione sighed as she answered and then went back to reading to her book a little irritated at all the hype created about the spy.

"Yeah yah, but who can it be?" Harry mumbled to himself. It was all Hermione could do not to snap at him. He was driving her crazy.

"It could be anyone Zabini, Malfoy-"

"Malfoy… are you serious?" He interrupted her looked at her with wide eyes.

"Yeah why not." Hermione shrugged.

"Because he is evil." Hermione frowned.

"Harry he isn't evil and you know there are more chances of him being the spy now that his mother is in danger." She reasoned.

Harry was quiet for sometime then he sighed "you are right, it can be a possibility."

"And..." Hermione urged him to continue.

"And he is not evil." He agreed.

"Harry lets speak about something else." Hermione suggested looking at Harry's face.

"Okay, what?" He readily agreed.

"How about we write down the places where Dumbledore can hide?" she suggested.

"Okay." Harry agreed and started thinking of possible places. "I give up." He said after few minutes. Nothing is clicking into my mind."

"Same here." Hermione said hopelessly. "I mean we don't know anything about him." Hermione protested.

"Yah, we don't where he was born, when he lived when he was a child, what was his parent's name, weather he has a sibling or not. We know nothing about him-Nothing." She lamented.

"Yes, all these years I never thought about all that stuff, never struck me to ask him about that either."

"Well you know what that means…we have to depend on the library."

"Yippee." Harry said sarcastically.

Hermione was about to tell something when Sirius called them both downstairs. "Come on lets go." Harry said jumping up from the bed and pulling Hermione with him and went downstairs.

"Yah Sirius." Harry asked him as soon as they both reached downstairs.

"Hogwarts letters just came." He informed them both and gave them the letters. They both immediately opened the letter, a shiny badge stating Head Boy and Head Girl fell out of the letter.

"I think I need new glasses." Harry announced.

"Why?" Sirius asked.

"Because… instead to seeing one badge, I am seeing two."

"Harry, that's not funny. There are two badges one floor you and one for me."

"But why, I wasn't even a perfect."

"Harry, don't you see it." Hermione asked him.

"Ummm… no."

"He's trying to get back into your good books Harry. Though Minerva is the headmistress, I am sure Albus will be the one to tell what to do and what not to do." Sirius agreed.

"I can't believe that he could fall so low." Harry said.

"Yah, well one thing can out right in all this." Hermione said smiling.

"What?" Harry asked.

"We get a separate dorm for both of us." She said smirking.

"That means we can avoid Ron and Ginny for a longer time." He said happy with the situation. Hermione then excused herself to the library to search about Dumbledore.

Harry was going through his book list when Sirius said "Harry do you remember the time I gave you a talk about Bees and Birds…"

"Yes." He said blushing when he remembered 'The Talk'.

"Yes well I think it's time to have that talk again with some addition here and there."

"What no…" he protested.

"Yes Harry, now that you are in a relationship you may have some urges…"

It was a quite dinner Tonks had just returned from the ministry and was looking very tired. After dinner they all went to the living room and spend some time with each other.

"So Hogwarts letter finally came today." Harry said.

"Yah and congratulations for being head boy and girl." Remus said to Harry and Hermione while Tonks just hummed.

"Tonks… I was wondering…" Hermione started biting her lip.

"Yeah, 'Mione?" she asked looking at her.

"Well, not wondering more like wanting to know-"

"Stop blabbering and tell me what you want to know." Tonks told her.

"Well I was wondering if the ministry keeps a record of all witches and wizards."

"Yes, why?"Tonks asked cautiously.

"Because I need all the information I can find about someone."

"Who?"

"Dumbledore." She replied smirking at the shocked faces which were looking right back at her.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Chapter 17**

A/N: I know I know I took a looong time to post and I am really... really sorry. But on the bright side I posted a new story-**TOGETHER**. It's a Twilight and Harry Potter crossover. I hope you like that too. Check it out.

Review are very much appreciated B)

* * *

It had taken Tonks full one week to get the file which contains the whole history of Dumbledore and it proved to more difficult than anything when she got to know that there was a whole separate department where the whole life history is recorded of all the witches and wizards living since their first to last breath. Once she had located the section where Albus Dumbledore's the file was kept, she had to get to it, make a replica of it and then get the duplicate back home back. Twice, she had almost got caught in act but thank Merlin she got away with it without creating much fuss.

Tonks reached home with a spring in her step, after dinner from the ministry as soon as she stepped in the room she saw that everyone was sitting in the living room. She smile and came and sat next to Remus.

"'Mione, I got little something for you." Tonks told her smirking at her.

Hermione gasped "You got it?"

"Yup." Tonks said smirking at her and she gave the file to her.

"Well took you long enough." She said smirking as she opened the file to look into it. Tonks started to tell her off when she the playful glint in her eyes and just chuckled instead and shook her head.

"I hope you find you want because of this I almost got caught... twice." Tonks huffed.

"Thanks Tonks." Hermione smiled at her and she instantly jumped up from her seat but and started walking to her room when Remus stopped her "Hermione." Remus called.

"Yes Remus?" Hermione asked him

"Why don't you just read the file in front of us?"He suggested.

"Yah and that way you don't have to repeat it to us again and then explain it to us." Sirius added. Hermione shrugged and sat back down next to Harry and opened the file.

**Name:** Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

**Sex: **Male

**DATE OF BIRTH:** July 1881

**ADDRESS**: A wizarding village: Mould-on-the-Wold and then he stayed in Godric's Hollow.

**ANCESTRY**: Half-blood.

**MOTHER**: Kendra Dumbledore, a muggle born; accidently killed in 1899 by her 14-year-old daughter Ariana, who was mentally unstable.

**FATHER**: Percival Dumbledore imprisoned in 1890 at Azkaban for an attack on Muggles. He died there.

**SIBLINGS**: *Younger brother Aberforth born 1883. He is the owner and barman of the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade.

*Younger sister Ariana 1885 and died 1899.

**PET: **A phoenix, Fawkes.

**APPEARENCE: **He had sparkling blue eyes, with long crooked nose which has been broken twice**. **He had auburn hair which eventually turned white as time passed. He had long moustache with longer beard. He wore half-moon glasses, long robes with high-heeled buckled boots.

**FIRST SIGN OF MAGIC**: When he accioed a book he wanted from a bookshop.

**EDUCATION: **Since a young age, Dumbledore always showed great magical abilities. He attended Hogwarts in the autumn of 1992 and was sorted into Gryffindor. He excelled in Transfiguration, Charms and Potions as well. He also had several of his papers published during his years in Hogwarts. He became the Prefect during his fifth year and then it was followed by him being the Head Boy in his seventh year.

**CAREER: **He was a Professor of Transfiguration in Hogwarts. He was the Deputy Head to Armando Dippet and after he had left the post, Dumbledore was appointed as the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

**PATRONUS:** Phoenix.

**ACHIEVEMENTS:** He was the winner of the Barnabus Finkley Prize for Exceptional Spell-Casting during his school years, became the British Youth Representative to the Wizengamot, and won the gold Medal-Winner for Ground-Breaking Contribution to the International Alchemical Conference in Cairo. He was the founder of the infamous Order of Phoenix.

**AFFILIATIONS: **He got the Order of Merlin- First Class, and Grand Sorcerer. He also was the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. Also was a part of Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.

**ACCOMPLISHMENTS/ SKILLS:** He is an expert in non-verbal spells and is famous as an alchemist who has worked with Nicolas Flamel, the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone, and is credited with discovering the twelve uses of dragon's blood. He had also devised a method of sending messages to other people using a Patronus Charm, a skill he has taught only to members of the Order of the Phoenix. He can also become invisible without using an invisibility cloak, which is most likely a powerful Disillusionment Charm. Dumbledore is also skilled in Occlumency and Legilimency. Dumbledore is famous for defeating Grindelwald, who is second on a list of Most Dangerous Dark Wizards of All Time only to Voldemort himself. He is a skilled duellist. He spoke Mermish; he also understood Gobbledegook and Parseltongue

**POSESSIONS:** He is a proud owner of a Pensive, a Deluminator; a device designed by him for removing and later returning light, as well as the capability of a homing device.

**DEATH: **June 1997.

With that Hermione closed the file and placed it on the side table.

"Wow." Harry said pushing his hair from his face.

"That's one family." Tonks said as he slumped in his chair.

"No, no that's one crazy family." Sirius corrected her.

"Well at least we have a something now." Tonks said.

"What do you about his brother?" Hermione asked.

"Well Albus brother used to be an order member when the Order of Phoenix was first established. After Voldemort came into action and the first war, the order broke and after that no one knows where he's gone and now apparently he is the barman of the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade." Sirius said.

"We have to find him and talk to him. He could be a great help to us." Harry said.

"I agree." Tonks said.

"Yes and we should also check out Mould-on-the Wold and then Godric's Hollow." Hermione suggested.

"Isn't Godric's Hollow the place where I was born?" He asked Sirius and Remus.

"Yah. You were born there." Remus

"So, uumm... Can we go there tomorrow; I want to see that place." Harry said not looking at them.

"Harry, I don't think that will be a good idea." Remus said awkwardly.

"I think it's a good idea." Tonks said immediately. Everyone including Harry looked at her stunned. "I mean it will give him closure. You know going there and experiencing it." Tonks said.

"I agree with her." Hermione said nodding her head. "And we can check out Dumbledore's home there too." She suggested.

"Okay..." Remus relented "But we all will be changing our appearances." He said.

"Okay." Harry said his eyes shining brightly.

"What about Diagon Alley?" Hermione asked.

"What about it?"

"Aren't we going there, to buy Hogwarts stuff?" she asked.

"No." Tonks spoke up this time.

"But why?" Hermione asked them.

"It's too dangerous." Sirius said.

"I thing after weeks of practice we both are capable of defending ourselves." Harry said wryly.

"We don't disagree with that Harry, but by dangerous we mean is that an order member recognising you there and then informing to Dumbledore." Remus said patiently.

"But we will be in disguise." Hermione protested.

"Yeah, frankly we both are bored of not going anywhere out, the whole holidays we both are stuck here. We just want a change." Harry said as he tried again.

"I know Harry and I do understand that but please do believe us three on this, we can't risk it." Tonks pleaded them both.

"But-"Harry protested again.

"There is another reason." Remus said.

"What?" Harry asked a little frustrated.

"You know the attack on Diagon Alley on Hogsmeade..." Remus started.

"Yes, but that was at least two weeks back." Hermione said.

"Yes well the place is still not restored. They were rebuilding it but then two day's back there was another attack and this time it was on Gringotts. The damage was huge. Many of the goblins died and the others were gravely injured. Gringotts is harmed. Many of the vaults were harmed and were broken into but the vaults underground were safe. That means there will double the order member there, and if anyone does come to know that you are staying here, then Harry-" He broke away knowing very well the others knew what was going to happen.

Harry sighed in disappointment but nodded his head, knowing deep down that Remus was right in what he was saying.

"But why did Voldemort destroy Gringotts?" Hermione asked breaking the silence which had fallen over. Sirius and Remus shared a look the after a minute Sirius said "We believe that the Death eaters we searching for something." he said.

"In Gringotts...in the vaults?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, in the vaults." Tonks confirmed.

"You recon it's a Horcrux?" Tonks asked Remus, her brows furrowing in thought.

"We are not sure, but why would Voldemort find his own Horcrux." Remus said.

"Oaky, whatever they were searching, were they successful, did they find it?" Hermione asked.

"We are not sure about that either." Remus said shrugging.

Hermione bit her lip in disappointment and finally said "Well I just have to add Gringotts as the place to be searched for any Horcrux." She said as she went through Dumbledore's file again, in hope of finding something new.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Chapter 18**

A/N: Hey guy's new chapter... I hope you like it.

* * *

"Hey guys get ready...we will be leaving in an hour." Tonks said as she peeked into Hermione's room. Harry and Hermione nodded.

"Are you ready to face it, Harry?" Hermione said as Tonk's felt the room closing the door behind her with a 'thud'.

"Hermione, I don't really think I will be ever ready, it's just one of those things that I have to just do it." He told her smiling at her gently.

"Well I am proud of you." She said as she kissed his forehead and got up.

"Hey, where are you going?" Harry asked whining.

"Didn't you hear Tonks... to get ready of course?" She said smiling.

"But we have an hour to do that." He pulled her down on the bed.

"So what are going to do now?" she asked him smirking lightly.

"Well we can do something like this." He said as he kissed her "or this." He said as he nipped her throat lightly.

"Uumm." She moaned.

"So, you think we should do this?" he asked her his lips skimming her throat lightly.

"Harry, well have to get ready-"she was cut off again as Harry kissed her-again.

"Harry umm-"Hermione at last accepted defeat as she closed her eyes, as she started kissing him back. Harry shifted and positioned him over her as she lay down on the bed. He looked into her eyes. "I love you." He whispered to her. "As I love you." She said smiling at him. He placed a tender kiss on her lips, a kiss that filled her with pleasure, a kiss like no other she had ever had, it filled her soul with fire, it was full of love and promise He then put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer than before he kissed her passionately and deepened the kiss as and their tongues tangled before they both had to stop to take a breather. Harry then kissed her cheek, her jaw and placed a series of kissed down her throat. He then came back to her lips. He snaked his hand behind her head and gently grabbed her neck, pulling it closer. His eyes never left hers as he quickly ducked his head in and his lips met hers, again. It wasn't particularly a soft kiss like before. It was needier than she expected, and the passion was such that it sort of swept her up in it. His other hand had come up and tangled itself back up in her hair as did her hand as she gripped his hair in a bunch. Hermione tangled her legs with him. Harry's other hand fingered her shirt she was wearing; he shyly touched her naked waist.

"Harry." She moaned.

"Hmm." He asked as he sucked her throat.

"Harry, this is all so very good...but we have to stop." She said with a sigh as he proceeded to mark her.

"Do you really want me too?" he asked her as he looked into her eyes. He didn't wait for her answer as he kissed her again. She tugged his hair and moaned.

"I really don't want to stop but we have to." She said with a sigh and pushed him away.

"Why?" he whined as he placed a kiss on her nose.

"Because if we don't stop-" she was cut off as Harry kissed her.

"Hey guys." Sirius said as he opened the door and as soon as he saw what was happening, he immediately closed the door.

"That could happen." She finished. Harry groaned and he lay back on the bed.

"Let's just get ready." she suggested as she went to change while Harry went to take a cold shower.

"You ready?" Remus asked as Harry entered.

"Yes." He nodded. He was ready to see where his parents once stayed, where he was born. He was ready to face it. "Harry," Hermione said as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Yes." He snapped back to reality. "What's up?"

"Nothing, just we are ready to go." Harry nodded and started walking. Remus, Sirius and Tonks were waiting for them. Harry looked at Sirius; he gave him a look which clearly said 'we'll talk later'.

"Well before we go, I want everyone to wear this." Hermione said as she took out five rings from her pocket.

"What are these?" Harry asked as he took one of those and studied it.

"It's an emergency portkey to this house, anywhere you are, even Hogwarts; it's channelled to bring you back here." Hermione explained. "I think that we are doing to Godric's Hollow, there may be some danger and if there is I want everyone to use the portkey's at one go." She said or rather commanded. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"I suspect that their maybe a foul play in Godric's Hollow." Sirius said. "So be at your best."

"Ready?" Tonks asked. Every one nodded and in a flash all of them were gone.

They landed in an alley. Coming to the main area they looked at their surroundings. It was a small community, which centres on a village square with only a church, a post office, a pub, and a few retail shops. The residential streets are lined with quaint cottages. They walked a little when they came across a statue of monument to the Potter family – James, Lily, and Harry.

"Wow." Remus said "I didn't know this was here."

"Me neither." Sirius agreed. It was a statue of Harry, when he was a year old. He was in lily's arms and next to her was James his arm wrapped around Lily's waste. Hermione took Harry's hand squeezed it in silent support.

"Let's get going?" Hermione asked after sometime.

"Yes, let's see your house Harry." Sirius said as he composed himself. They walked a few minutes and then stopped in front of a broken house. One of the walls was broken into pieces. There were black soot marks here and there. The front door was scratched and holes could be seen all over it.

"Can we go in?" harry asked in a thick voice. Sirius opened his mouth to disagree but Tonks said "Of course." She said as she gave Sirius's shoulder a squeeze. Harry was the first one to enter the house. The door creaked as harry pushed it open. The rooms were dusty, dirty and unused. "This was the family room." Remus said as they entered "and that was the kitchen." Sirius added pointing to the adjacent room. Harry went up the stairs. He came to a stop in front of a room. "Harry." Hermione said as she came and stood next to him.

"Was this the room?" he asked.

"Yes." Remus answered.

"Harry, how did you know?" Hermione asked.

"I can feel it. I am getting this bad feeling coming from this room." Harry struggled to explain.

Hermione gasped "Harry, you don't think their maybe a Horcrux in their?" she asked wide eyed.

"It is possible." He said giving some thought.

"Let's go in and check it out." Remus said as he opened the door. The room looked like as though an explosion had gone off. There was a crater formed at the middle of the room and then all the things in the room were not in a single piece except "Guy's." Tonks called all of them

"What happened?" Sirius asked immediately.

"Look at this." She pointed at a silver goblet, similar to the one harry had made Dumbledore drink at the end of his last year, it was covered in soot lying on the floor.

"Do you think that can be a Horcrux?" she asked.

"Well there is this spell." Remus started "it basically tells the object is dark or not. We can try that spell on it." He suggested. Everyone nodded and Remus cried "Exhibeo Absconditus Acerbus" the goblet was instantly covered in light and then a dark light pierced through the bright and then the bright light slowly converted into black.

"Congratulations, we have a Horcrux." Remus said dryly.

"Anyone has a napkin or something?" Hermione asked as squatted down beside the Horcrux.

"Here." Sirius said as he took out a piece of cloth from his pocket. Hermione carefully covered the cup with the cloth and picked it up. "I think we should cut short our outing for today." Harry suggested as he followed Hermione back, outside of the house, everyone agreed and they used their own portkey's to the house.

"So what do we do with this?" Harry asked as he stared at the Horcrux lying on the table in front of him.

"First, is this even a Horcrux?" Sirius asked as he stared at the ceiling.

"Yes it is it's the Helga Hufflepuff's Cup. And it is on the list, it's definitely a Horcrux."

"So we have to destroy it." Tonks said shrugging.

"Yes, but the question is how?" Remus asked as they all turned towards Hermione.

"Oh!" Hermione blushed as she saw everyone look at her. "Well Dumbledore's diaries say that one of the most foolproof methods of destruction is Basilisk venom, like Harry destroyed the diary in our second year.

"Yes, well we don't have basilisk venom." Tonks said as she paced the room.

"Well there are other ways like magical smelting procedure, like Fiendfyre or the Godric Gryffindor's Sword; that's how Dumbledore destroyed the ring which he wore around last year." She said.

"So what are our options?" Harry asked her.

"The sword is almost impossible to get." Hermione said.

"What about the killing curse?" Sirius asked from the sofa.

"That may work, but I am not sure." Hermione said "and no one of us is using that cure." She warned in a hard voice.

"So Fiendfyre then?" Remus asked.

"Yes." Tonks said."I will do it; I have already used this curse before." She said in a hard voice and everyone agreed.

"When should we do it?" Hermione asked as she looked around.

"Now." Tonks said as she cried "Fiendfyre." What happened next was a shock for everyone. The cup which was surrounded with the fire started melting first. Then it started secreting blood which overflowing over the rim. A pierce of shriek came from the cup as it broke from between and the fire stopped as soon as it did. Tonks sagged and Remus immediately caught her and took her to the sofa while Sirius got water for.

"One Horcrux down." Tonks said as she closed her eyes.

"_Two more down." Harry thought in slight relief._

**Exhibeo Absconditus Acerbus means Show hidden darkness. (In Latin)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Chapter 19**

A/N: New chapter. Sorry for the delay.

* * *

Tonks had a day off from the ministry and felt that she and Hermione had not spoken to each other one-on-one in a long time and that is how Hermione found herself trapped in her room with Tonks.

"So... have you and Harry done it yet?" Tonks asked as she combed Hermione's hair.

"Done what?" she asked as she was reading a book on Dark Arts.

"You know..." she said coyly.

"No I don't." she said as she finally kept the book down beside her and looked at her through the mirror.

"'Mione, have you done the deed yet?" she asked wiggling her eyebrows and a smirk on her face.

"Tonks." Hermione gasped and then blushed in embarrassment.

"What?" she asked smirking. "So tell me." She said finishing up her hair and then she sat in front on Hermione and looked at her curiously.

"There is nothing to tell, Tonks." She said as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh! There must be something." She insisted.

"We haven't done the deed." She said as she blushed.

"Then what have you done?" she asked.

"I don't kiss and tell Tonks." she said shifting in her chair.

"Okay okay, so how about I will tell you something about me and Remus and then you tell me about yours." She negotiated. Hermione thought about for a minute, she knew that Tonks won't let the topic go until they talk about so she agreed with caution.

"Okay." She nodded. "But please, there is no need to go into the gory details I do not want to know all those stuff about my ex-professor." She warned Tonks.

"Okay." She agreed, she went and sat on Hermione's bed with her legs crossed and patted the space in front of her and invited Hermione to do the same. "Well you know one of the best things about Remus is his wolf stamina." she said smirking but a light blush could be seen creeping up her neck.

"What-" Hermione started confused about what she was speaking about when it clicked and she exclaimed "Tonks! I can't believe you... but seriously?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yup, he can go on for hours and hours together." She said as her eyes rolled back in pleasure.

"Too much information." Hermione cried as she slapped her hands over her ears and shook her head. Tonks just laughed at the other girl's discomfort.

"Okay, I told you now it's your turn." Tonks told Hermione.

"Well we haven't done the deed yet, just some kissing that's all." She said as she hid her face in her hands while Tonks just laughed at her embarrassment.

"Hey, I was thinking." Hermione after she cooled down a bit "You are the new defence against the dark arts professor, right?"

"Yes." Tonks said easily adjusting to the new topic.

"Well then you will have your own your own quarters, Yes?" she asked Tonks and she nodded in agreement. "Well I was thinking you can ask Remus to stay with you there so that we don't have to stop our training, we can continue it in Hogwarts."

"I am one step in front of you, I have already asked, he's staying with me." Tonks said smiling.

"Well then what about Sirius, he will be all alone here." Hermione said her high spirits dampening when she thought about Sirius living here alone.

"Don't you know he is coming to Hogwarts with us?" Tonks asked surprised that she didn't know that.

"No I didn't know anything about that." Hermione whispered looking at Tonks wide eyes.

"Oh!" Tonks said as she bit her lips lightly "I shouldn't have said anything."

"But it's too dangerous." Hermione protested.

"Hermione you know Sirius, nothing will change his mind; once he has decided that he'll go to Hogwarts with us, and then he will."

Hermione nodded and sighed knowing what she was telling was the truth. "Okay, so tell me then how is he going to Hogwarts?" she asked surprised.

At the same time Remus and Sirius are having a chat with Harry.

"Sirius, please don't tell me you are giving me 'the chat' again." Harry groaned "Oh! Remus is here too." He said as he saw Remus sitting in on the chairs a smile playing on his lips.

"No, no after what I saw that day I know now that 'the chat' won't work now." He said smirking.

"They why am I here?" he asked relieved as he sat on one of the chairs.

"Well you see, since we cannot do anything else, we both want to give you this." Sirius said as he gave Harry a rectangular box packed in gift paper.

"What is it?" he asked looking at the box suspiciously.

"Just open it." Remus said.

"These are just bottle of potions. What are they for?" Harry asked after he opened the box.

"Well we know that you are a teenager and-" Sirius said but Remus soon interrupted "These potions are to be taken before or after when you are going to have sex."

"Remus!" Harry gasped in shock.

"What, we know that you will do it with Hermione soon so just be safe. Drink the potion before you do 'it'. It will last for twenty four hours." He said with a smirk on his face while Harry's face turned Red in embarrassment.

"Which I say is a long time." Sirius said with a wolfish grin on his face.

Harry pointedly ignored Sirius and a quick "Thank you." and quickly left the room going to his room.

The next time Hermione saw Sirius was at dinner. She couldn't stop herself form asking him "Sirius why haven't you us that you will be joining us in Hogwarts?"

"What!" Harry exclaimed "Sirius, you are?" He asked him surprised.

Sirius groaned "Who told you, I wanted it to be a surprise." He whined.

"But how?" Harry asked again.

"Well, Tonks here told me that Madam Hooch had retired so I sent in my application to fill in as the Flying instructor / Quidditch referee / coach. And I got appointed."

"But, you can't come to Hogwarts looking like this." Harry said still shocked that Sirius will be coming with them to Hogwarts.

"Harry, I am going to be under an appearance." Sirius said shrugging.

"Yah, about that I was thinking blonde hair..." Tonks said as she ate her pie.

"No, no too Malfoy, instead brown hair with blond streaks in them, like this." Hermione said as she swished her wand.

"Yeah, and blue eyes, longer hair, sharper nose..." Hermione mumbled to herself as she flicked her wand.

"Freckles?" Tonks asked as she swished her wand over his face. Then she shivered looking at him.

"No definitely not." Hermione shook her looking at Sirius as Tonks vanished the freckles from his face.

"And this too." Tonks said as she swished her wand again, her tongue sticking out a little bit in concentration.

"What did you do?" Harry asked as he looked at the new 'Sirius'.

"Don't you see it?" Tonks asked now feeling a little disappointed as she studied her nails.

Harry looked at Remus but he shook his head too indicating that he too didn't see the change either. Harry and Remus desperately looked at Hermione and she snickered slightly and sighed "Of course we do Tonks, those flicker of green in his eyes look great." She said cheering Tonks up and Harry and Remus shot a relieved looked at her to which she replied by rolling her eyes at them.

"Yup, that will work." Remus said awkwardly, not looking at Tonks and started at Sirius who was sitting with a scowl on his face.

"And what will be your name?" Harry asked.

"You are looking at Andrew Carlson." Sirius announced as he got up from his seat and spread his arms.

"Well one thing is for sure, you will get loads of female attention, I mean if I wasn't your cousin and if I was not in deep love with Remus here, I would go for you." Tonks said feeling everyone else's shocked gazes on her as she snickered.

_2 weeks later_

"Harry, Hermione come on, we have get going like now." Tonks said from downstairs while Harry and Hermione were lying on Hermione's bed.

"So you ready to face them?" Hermione asked Harry as she listened to his heart beat.

Harry didn't need ask who meant by 'them'. He knew it would be so hard for him to act as though nothing happened during the summer with the Weasley's, as though he didn't know what they were up to since all these years he knew them.

"Honestly?" He asked playing with her hair.

"Yeah..."

"I don't want the holidays to be finished, it was so good, the holiday's felt like a dream, easy, fun, and happy, no war, love, and no fear. I just don't want it to end." he sighed.

"Yeah me too, Harry." Hermione agreed.

"But all good things have to end." He said as he got up and sat on the bed wrapping his hand around Hermione's waist.

"Not all good things." Hermione said as she squeezed his hand and kissed him. Harry broke the kiss looked into her eyes "You are right, I love you."

"As I love you." She replied smiling and then giving a short kiss and then getting up from the bed "Let's go." She pulled him and he complied.

"Ready?" Tonks asked as she saw both them descending from the steps.

"Yup."

"Okay, you both will go separately, first Hermione will apparated there with Remus and then ten minutes later Harry and Tonks will. I will meet you all at Hogwarts. And remember Harry, you were coped up in your house all summer and Hermione, you were staying with your parent." Sirius said and Harry and Hermione nodded; they went out to their backyard, already in his appearance, looking ten years younger. Every one nodded and Hermione waved at then as she apparated with Remus.

"It's almost time, Harry. Remember to take the potion once a week to fight Amortentia." Sirius said as he hugged him and apparated which was immediately followed by Harry and Tonks.

They apparated in front of 9 3/4 and Harry turned towards Tonk's "Meet you at the station?" he asked.

"You bet." She said as she kissed him on his cheek and apparated. Harry took a deep breath and ran towards the wall only to emerge in front of the team.

"Harry." He heard a cry and suddenly found himself in a hug.

"Hermione." He spluttered as he held her in a hug.

"Act Harry." She whispered as she broke the hug and went and stood next to Ron. He immediately felt himself being hugged by Ginny and Mrs. Weasley leaving him gasping for breath. "Hey Ginny." He mumbled giving her a fake smile.

"Hey sweetie, where were you, I tried to send you letters but they all were sent back to me?" she whined.

"Oh! I was with the Dursley's this summer." He said feeling disgusted by just looking at her.

"You look different." Ron said as he looked at him.

"You know they kept me busy by running, gardening, cleaning the muggle way helped." He said shrugging.

"Off you go kid's, the train is about to leave." Mrs. Weasley said loudly before giving hugs to everyone. They all entered the train but before they could start searching for an empty compartment to sit in Hermione intervened shrugging off Ron's hand from her waist "Harry and I have to go to the prefect's compartment." She said as she pulled Harry with her without hearing their answer. They were the first one to be there in the compartment. Harry immediately closed the door and casted a silencing charm. "Thank god, I couldn't stay with them for an extra minute." He said as he gave Hermione a long kiss.

"Me neither." Hermione sighed.

"How are we going to do this, I mean we both have to kiss, and hang out with them, it just disgusts me." Harry shuddered.

"We will get through." Hermione said as she pulled him into a hug "Just remember that I love you." She mumbled to his shoulder.

"I love you too." He sighed returning the hug.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Chapter 20**

A/N: New Chapter. Please do review...

* * *

The head's room was one of a kind, a cosy, warm common room with an attached fire place and a set off worn comfortable sofa in front of it. The common room leads the bedrooms for the head boy and head girl. Both the rooms are identical with a four poster bed, a study table, a closet and an attached bathroom. But Harry and Hermione didn't spend the night in the bedrooms no they were asleep on the sofa together which would be followed by a very tough day.

Hermione opened her eyes and sat up looking at her surroundings "Harry..." she shook Harry trying to wake him up. He groaned and turned and continued sleeping, she shook him until he woke up.

"I am up, I am up..." he mumbled as he rubbed his eyes and brushed a kiss on Hermione's forehead.

"We better get ready." Hermione said in near whisper.

"Yeah." He sighed and gave her a kiss as he went to get dressed for the day Hermione soon following him into her room. Harry was already ready when Hermione came down from her room showered and fresh. "Let's go I am hungry." Harry said as he pulled Hermione with him.

"Yeah me too, I still can't believe we missed yesterday's dinner and weren't caught by anyone." Hermione wondered out loud.

"Yeah, guess Tonks managed it, she must have told something so that we were excused."

"I wonder what she said to convince McGonagall." Harry mumbled as they reached the great hall, pushing it past open Harry and Hermione sat in front of Ginny and Ron, trying to look anything but disgusted by the two of them.

"Hey Harry, Hermione we didn't see you yesterday during the feast; where were you?" Ginny asked innocently.

"Head duties and we had to help the first years, headmistress's order." Harry said as he buttered his toast.

"Oh! Okay, here I poured you some pumpkin juice, it's your favourite, drink it up." Ginny said as she pushed the goblet towards him. Harry quickly glanced Hermione and then smiled at Ginny. "Thanks Ginny." He said drinking from the goblet.

"So what did we miss yesterday?" Hermione asked as she dug into her cereal.

"Oh! You won't believe who is the new Defence against the Dark Arts Professor?" Ginny said excitedly.

"Who?" Hermione asked feigning surprise.

"Tonks and Remus." She said grinning.

"Together?" Harry asked playing his part.

"Yeah, it seems they are an item." Ron said as he chewed on his bacon and Hermione bristled on the word 'item' and was disgusted seeing him talk with his mouth open with bacon in his mouth.

"That's not a surprise" Ginny said "Mum told me that they both were going out during the summer.

"Really?" Hermione murmured as she drank the pumpkin juice in front of her, which Ron had placed it there. Soon the timetables were being passed around and they saw Sirius/Professor Andrew distributing them.

"Who is that?" Harry asked in a confused voice but with a twinkle in his eyes. They saw Professor Andrew walking closer and he was in well within their hearing range.

"Ooh! That's Professor Andrew; he's the professor who is taking over Madam Hooch's spot." Ginny replied giggling catching his attention as he came closer to pass out their timetables.

"Professor Andrew, we were just talking about you, this is Harry Potter- the Head Boy and Hermione Granger- the Head Girl." Ginny said breathlessly and Harry and Hermione saw him wince slightly and they looked away covering their smiles carefully.

"Hello." Sirius said in his fake deep voice and then quickly passed the timetables and left with Ginny sighing looking at his retreating back. And Ron's face morphed into one of disgust but kept his mouth shut.

"Let's see. Double Potions first, then Charms, then Defence against the Dark Arts and then after lunch I have Herbology, Arithmancy, Transfiguration and Astronomy." said Hermione after examining her schedule.

"I have the same except I gave Arithmancy a miss and took up the Care of Magical Animals."Harry said as he studied his timetable.

"Well same here except I took up Divination and Care of Magical Animals and gave Potions and Arithmacy a miss. I can't believe you both took up potion." Ron said shaking his head. Harry and Hermione just shrugged in return. "Let's get going then." Hermione asked as she got up.

"No, no I have a free hour now, you both go ahead." He said and waved them goodbye. Harry and Hermione nodded and left the great hall to their common room and sighed in relief. Harry compared to Hermione was starting to lose his patience when he felt Ginny play footsie with him. Hermione just smiled at him, she understood and he nodded back to her assuring her he was fine. They walked back to the common room and from there to the dungeons was a silent one. They didn't need to talk neither they needed to walk with each other, hand in hand to assure each other, just the company is enough.

Not surprisingly Potions went without breaking any sweat, with Snape as their professor for five years, Slughron was pleasant happening and was much easier to be dealt with too. When they reached the Charms classroom they found Ron already waiting for them. As soon as he saw them, he came next to Hermione and draped an arm along her waste. Immediately Harry nails dug into his palm stopping himself to beat Ron into pulp and Hermione smile became strained.

Harry looked away and saw Malfoy standing with his back against the wall relaxed with his usual group not with him looking at them with unemotional eyes. When he saw Harry looking at him, his gaze dropped for a millisecond and then reconnected. He gave a small, next to nothing nod and walked into the class, never once looking at him again. Harry frowned and remembered Hermione's observation about him being a spy, and he realised how true can than thought be.

"Mate lets go." Ron's voice pulled him out of his reverie and followed him and Hermione into the class glaring at his hand, still draped at her waste. The class went without any hitch with Professor McGonagall starting how important the seventh year was and then about the N.E.W.T's. soon the class was over and they made their way to the next class the Defence Against the Dark Arts.

The door was already opened when they reached their so they went it. Harry and Hermione occupied the front seat with each other while Ron sat behind them with Dean frowning that he couldn't sit with her but all was soon forgotten when dean started talking about Quidditch.

Soon enough the class filled and then almost immediately as the last student sat down Tonks and Remus entered the class

"Good Morning class, I am Nymphadora Tonks but you can call me Professor Tonks and I hope you know Professor Remus Lupin." She pointed at Remus who was sitting on the desk studying the class. As he heard his call called he stood up and stood next to Tonks and waved at them. The class hummed in affirmatives and Tonks continued speaking "I am an Auror so that's why you will see me giving more attention towards the physical part of this subject where as Professor Lupin will be taking the theory part. I will first start off by dividing you all into partners and today we will be duelling each other." She announced as she read out names from a paper. "Mr. Potter and Mr. Zabini." She started and went on to pair Dean with Lavender, Malfoy with Parvati, Ron with Pansy, and Hermione with Daphne Greengrass.

"The other professor's here say that the seventh year students of Gryffindor and Slytherin are the one of best here, so show me." she said as she signalled Neville and Goyle to start duelling. As soon as it had started it was finished with Goyle stunned by Neville. Next went Ron and Pansy which surprisingly was won by Pansy.

Before the duel even started between Malfoy and Parvati, Parvati's hand had started shaking seeing Malfoy's and she had heard the rumours that he had killed Dumbledore. Tonks clapped and Malfoy stupefied Parvati before she even had the chance to open her mouth. Malfoy looked down at her frozen form and shook his head in disappointment and returned to his seat.

"Ms. Granger and Ms. Greengrass, you are next." Tonks called them both to the clearing. They went and took their position. One thing Sirius had taught Harry and Hermione was that to never underestimate your opponent, even if your opponent is a squib. "Bow." Tonks said and then she clapped, the duel had started.

"Stupefy." Daphne cried.

"Protegro." Hermione protected herself. "Confingro." She said instantly.

Daphne dropped down; she got up "Diffindo." She said.

Hermione dogged it "Expulso."

"Tarantallegra."

"Rectusempra."

"Sectumsempra." Hermione's eyes widened as she barely managed to dodge it. The curse touched her arm and immediately there was blood out of the wound "So this is how you are going to play." She thought as her eyes narrowed.

Taking a deep breath she fired away "Reducto."

Daphne managed to put up a shield, then she dropped the shield, the curse on her lips but Hermione was far faster than her. She had already fired the curse "Expelliarmus." The spell was a surprise to her. Without wasting any time Hermione cried "Petrificus Totalus." successfully ending the duel. The class was in awe at the display. Hermione turned and gave a bow; Harry was the first to clap with a proud smile on his face with the others to join him later.

"Well done, Ms. Granger." Tonks said her eyes twinkling as she released Daphne from the spell. "Mr. Potter and Mr. Zabini, you are next." Tonks called them both to the centre. Harry looked at Hermione as he stood opposite to Blaise. Hermione nodded at him and gave him a smile, a small smile touched Harry's lips in return. "Bow." Tonks said and clapped, the duel started with Zabini firing the first curse."Flipendo." "Harry jumped out of the way and immediately cried "Furnunculus." Blaise wasn't as fast as Harry, he did manage to move out of the way but the curse did hit his hand, immediately causing boils to occur all over his left hand. Blaise looked at his hand for a split second, and that second was what Harry needed he quickly used his distraction to his advantage as fired the spells one after another in quick succession "Immobulus." and "Expelliarmus." followed by "Petrificus Totalus."

"Very well Mr. Potter." Tonks said smirking as she freed Blaise from the curse.

"You both were amazing." Ron said as walked from the Infirmary after Madam Pomfrey healed her wound, to the great hall for lunch. "Thanks." Harry and Hermione said together.

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked as she wrapped her hand around Harry's hand, Hermione clenched her fist tightly in order to not slap Ginny. Ron and Hermione sat on the table opposite to Harry and Ginny who was still hanging onto his arm.

"Harry, Hermione you both were fabulous." Seamus said as he came and sat next to Harry with Dean, Parvati, Neville and Lavender.

"Thanks." Hermione said blushing slightly while Harry just nodded.

"I was wondering whether you would be continuing The Dum- D- Dumbledore's Army." Lavender asked choking on Dumbledore's name. Harry and Hermione shared a look.

"I don't know." Hermione said.

"Of course he will." Ginny said at the same time. Hermione eyes flashed in anger.

"Ginny, I don't think it will be right, I mean if we do continue we should at least ask Tonks and Remus first." Harry said quickly before Hermione could say anything.

"Yeah, let's go asked her now." Ginny suggested.

"Remus is there, I don't think we should go and interrupt them." Hermione said instantly.

"How do you know that they are a couple?"

"I met him before I came for the class." she said sweetly.

"Oh!" Parvati murmured.

"So I heard there was a duel today in Tonks class." Sirius asked that evening in the Room of Requirement.

"Yup, and it felt so good to duel someone else." Harry said as he sighed.

"Tonks, the other students want us to start the Dumbledore's Army again." Hermione said.

"What why, I am not a good teacher." Tonks shrieked as he stood up and stood in front of the sofa where Harry and Hermione were sitting. "Tell me what I did wrong, did I come out strong, like rude or something. Please tell me I didn't come out as boring." she said as her eyes filled with tears. Harry gave Hermione a desperate look and she took control of the conversation.

"Tonks, no no no... You got it all wrong. They just say how great we were and that's because of you, Sirius and Remus so they just wanted some extra help." Hermione said slowly looking into her eyes.

"Really, are you telling me that I am a good teacher?" Tonks asked desperately as she wiped a tear which came down her cheek.

"One of the best." She assured her.

"Okay, then I guess its okay then." Tonks relented as she went back to her place right beside Remus.

After few minutes of silence "So is it your time of the month again?" Sirius said chuckling slightly and then suddenly he was showered with a bucket full water.

"Well I guess this room is correctly called the Room of Requirement." Tonks said smugly leaning on Remus and closing her eyes.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Chapter 21**

A/N: This chapter contains LEMONS. Readers beware...

* * *

It was after Hermione had gone to bed in her room; Harry was nowhere close to sleeping. He got up from the bed and paced around the length of his room and closed his eyes and let his mind run over things and then suddenly with a flash he opened his eyes and quickly jumped out of his bed, changed into one of his well worn jeans grabbed the map off his table his wand in another and silently went to the teacher's quarters where he knew that Sirius was still awake. Quickly muttering the password to the painting which was glaring at him to be woken up from her sleep, the door opened submitting him into the teacher's quarters.

"I was wondering when you would come running to me." Sirius commented from the sofa where he was lying and was reading 'Witches Weekly' as he saw Harry walking into the room.

Harry groaned "You knew... of course you knew. You could have told me before, you know."

"I knew you would remember... eventually and its fun seeing you all worked up." Sirius barked a laugh. Harry just sighed in return.

"So what are you planning to give her?" Sirius asked after a moment of silence.

Harry dropped on the seat next to Sirius and supported his head with his palms, ideas running through his mind. After thinking a while he replied to Sirius "I need you to take me to Gringotts." Sirius got up from the sofa and looked at Harry with wide eyes.

"What! Now... why?" He spluttered.

"Please Sirius, just get ready and come with me, I promise I will tell you why on the way." He pleaded as he threw his a shirt lying on the sofa and asked him to get ready. Sirius got up but didn't move towards the room but instead he moved towards him and kneeled in front of him and took his chin in his hand and looked at him. After a beat of silence he shook his head and smiled so bright that it could have lit up the room. He barked a laugh and went to the other room to get ready.

Harry furrowed his head and scratched his head wondered what the hell had just happened.

"Come on let's get going." Sirius said, dressed up and went towards the fireplace. He threw some floo powder into the fire and yelled "Gringotts." soon Harry joined him at the other end dusting off the soot of his jeans. As it was almost middle of the night there was practically no one there except some goblins here and there who were immersed in their work. Harry went to the first goblin he found and said "Can I speak to Griphook please?" he asked in a hushed voice. The goblin looked at him and then nodded immediately went to search for Griphook.

Harry went back to Sirius and stood next to him waiting for Griphook to come. "So what is you plan, what do you want to give her?" Sirius asked Harry turning slightly to look at him.

"Well the last time I had visited my vault I saw this two charmed bracelet, I want to gift that to Hermione." He said. Sirius looked at Harry and then smiled a little. Harry was confused the way Sirius was acting with him but before he could ask him about it he saw Griphook coming at his way. "Mr. Potter." He said bowing at him, while Harry just nodded back. "And-"Griphook turned towards Sirius and waited for him to tell his name.

"Andrew Carlson, I am a professor in Hogwarts." Sirius immediately said. Griphook nodded and turned towards Harry.

"How can I be of your service Mr. Potter?"

"I need to go to my vault." Harry said taking out the key and giving it to him. He nodded and started walking asking Harry and Sirius to follow him through a tunnel when suddenly Sirius gasped Harry looked at him to see that all of his appearance had been vanished and he was back to his black hair and eyes Sirius. Sirius shot a panicked look at Harry and turned to move away when Griphook spoke up "Not to worry Mr. Black your secret is safe with us; actually we came to know that the day you were brought back from the veil. And that is the reason that Mr. Potter was not called for the reading of your will."

"You didn't anyone about him, did you?" Harry asked worried.

"No Mister Potter, as I said before your secret is safe with us." Griphook said slightly bowing.

Sirius and Harry relaxed and continued walking behind him in silence. Griphook then stood in front of a cart; he motioned the both of them to enter the cart. The cart immediately stopped in front of Harry's vault, Griphook open the vault and stood outside as Harry and Sirius went inside.

"Where did you last see it?" Sirius asked as he looked around for the bracelet.

"Found it." Harry called Sirius and pointed at the bracelet he was looking for.

In a word the bracelets were beautiful. They both were a replica of another. It looked as though silver, Ruby and Emerald was melted and made into ropes then braded them together.

"Its charmed too, I can feel it." Harry said as he touched it. "Do you think she will like it?" Harry asked Sirius who was still looking at the bracelet wide eyes.

"You all right?" Harry asked Sirius as he turned pale.

"She will fall in love with it, now come on we have to get back." Sirius said quickly ignoring his question.

"Sirius, what's wrong?" Harry called behind his moving next to him.' "Nothing, Harry." He denied getting into the cart where Griphook was waiting for them patiently.

"No, something is definitely wrong." Harry argued. Sirius sighed in defeat. "How about we talk about this layer, I am tired and sleepy okay." Sirius said promising him.

Harry looked at him and then nodded accepting it. "Tomorrow."

The next day Harry woke up late and so he had to miss breakfast which meant that the whole day he couldn't wish Hermione for her birthday the way he wanted to as would be surrounded Ron or Ginny. It was until the evening of that day that Harry dragged a reluctant Hermione to the room of requirement where he had already had gotten a cake for her birthday. He had already told Sirius that he didn't want anyone else to be there.

"What is it Harry?" Hermione grumbled as she started to put her hair into a pony.

"No, stop; don't do that." Harry said as he knocked her hand away, her hair came tumbling onto her shoulder. "Happy birthday." He whispered in her ear as he gave her his gift.

"You remembered." She said softly brightening up.

"Of course I did and I am so, so sorry I didn't wish you the whole day, one thing came after another." He apologised.

"It's okay." she said as she kissed him softly.

"Open it, your gift open it." She opened it the box and saw the bracelet.

"It's a family heirloom; see I am wearing the other one." Harry said as he showed her "You like it?" he asked her.

"I love it, Oh! Harry." She finished by giving him a big wet thank you kiss and wore it. "It's absolutely wonderful." she said staring at it.

"It is supposed to turn warm when I am in danger and vice versa." He explained. "Now you don't have to worry about me all the time."

"Happy Birthday 'Mione." he said as he brought the cake he got for her and placed in front of her. Hermione had tears in her eyes and just shook her head as she cut the cake into pieces

"Here." She said as she brought a piece in front of him. Harry smiled and took a bit and did the same to her. Harry suddenly had a mischievous look in his eyes; he quietly took a piece of cake and smeared it all over her face when she turned towards him.

"Harry." she said shocked at what he had just done. Harry just shrugged as he ate the cake which was in his hand; not to be left behind she took a piece of cake and did the same to him. Harry's mouth dropped in shock "I can't believe you just did that." He said as Hermione laughed her head off at his expression. Harry took a larger piece and smashed it all over her face, her hair and on her clothes. Hermione shrieked in surprise and look the remaining cake and smeared all over him too, the spectacles were not spared too.

"Look at what you have done." Harry said looking at the mess they created.

"Well you started it." She shot back.

"Guilty." He said looking at the clothes.

"Yeah, we should probably have a bath, clean up." Hermione said as she looked at her clothes she turned Red as she continued "So are you going to join me?"

"Hermione." Harry choked on his spit. Hermione just shrugged.

"Come on Harry, I know you want too and I want it too, so will be joining me?" she asked again.

"Don't kid, Hermione." He growled.

"I wasn't." She said shaking her head and turned and went to the bathroom which the room had just created leaving Harry behind her stunned to silence.

"I will be in the shower, come if you are willing to join me." She said without looking at Harry. She felt worse than ever. She knew that he thought she was kidding, but she wasn't and she felt how stunned he was but that didn't help her feel confident much. She threw her clothes at the corner as she stepped into the shower. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the door open. She fixed the temperature of the water when she felt a pair a hand sliding on her waste hugging her from behind. She gasped in surprise. It wasn't hard to feel his hot and hard erection against her back.

"I couldn't stay away." Harry said as he turned her towards him. "Are you sure Hermione because if you are not then tell me right now and I will back away before I can't?"

"I wouldn't have asked you if I wasn't so sure." She said as she claimed Harry's lips with her. Harry let the shower run, water falling on them as rain, as he continued to kiss her. Hermione's hand searched for the soap as he nipped her neck gently as she found it, she gasped out "Turn around." Harry stopped and looked at her, his eyes full of love and lust as he looked at her. He nodded and turned around she soaped his back trying hard to not notice the scars on his back. "It's all in the past." Harry said knowing what she was thinking about. Hermione swallowed and nodded and she continued soaping him and softly rubbing them.

"Enough, it's your turn now." He said gruffly and took the soap from her hand. He touched her slender waist and grazed her skin with his teeth. He pushed aside all her hair to one side and pressed a kiss to the tender skin, giving her the gentleness he hadn't showed her in the last few weeks. He pressed closer to her, his palms flat on the shower walls on either side of her head. Hermione tangled her fingers through Harry's hair. He looked into his eyes, took a chance and slid his hand down the front of her body and cupped her one soft breast. He squeezed gently, she gasped and arched, tugging his hair harder.

Grinning against her, he released her breast and soaped his hands; he took a step back and ran his hands from her shoulders to the tops of her thighs. He turned her around, her buttocks tightened under his touch and he stroked up to rub the soap in circles as he closed the tap of the showered so that she remained soapy for his pleasure.

"Harry, am I very dirty?" asked as she gasped aloud. He was fascinated by her smooth bottom and was very aware of the heat and the silky pleasure that awaited him below the curve he was caressing.

"Filthy." He whispered to her as he sucked her neck, loving the taste of her.

"What about you?" she asked breathless.

"Afterwards today is about you, Happy Birthday 'Mione." He said silencing whatever she was going to say next by a kiss.

"But-" Hermione spluttered as Harry wrapped his arms around her body."Harry..." she groaned.

"Shut up." He whispered against her neck as he closed his hands over her breast and then pressed his body flush against her back; his erection lay between them, hot and throbbing.

"Harry, please." She pleaded huskily.

"Not yet." He nipped at her neck, he moved his hands until her nipples were between his fingers and at the same time he nudged one leg between her legs. She gasped. "Are you wet for me 'Mione?" he pinched her nipples gently.

"I..." her whole body trembled.

"Maybe I should check." He slid one hand from her breast down her damp stomach to the curls at the junction of her thighs. He went slowly, his mouth dry with anticipation, he thrust his thigh between her smooth ones, and his fingers slide through her curls and into the delicate folds between her legs as she squeezed her legs together. She shuddered as he stroked her sensitive flesh in search of heat. When he found it, he gently pushed a single finger inside her making her cry aloud. Harry's own body went taut with desperation.

"Harry please." Hermione groaned as he drew back and turned her in his arms. "You are driving me crazy." She whined. Reaching down he removed her hands from his waste and put it on his shoulders as he let water wash off all the soap from their body. He carried her locking her legs around him to the bed and dropped her onto the bed. He hovered above her as he took her nipple into his mouth.

She bucked and screamed "Harry, Please! Please!"

"Ready?" Harry asked Hermione as he readied himself. She just nodded. He was inside her before he could breathe, lodged just barely in her heat. She pushed herself up when she felt Harry stop, impaling herself. He clasped her hips, he was inside her and he didn't dare to move.

"You can move now." Hermione as she nodded for him to start moving again.

"Ready?"

"Yes." He rocked against her, giving her time to use to this feeling. She shuddered as he stroked her buttocks. He took her lips in a bruising kiss as he gritted his teeth against the temptation. She returned his kiss with same fierceness. Lips locked with hers as he moved with her. His one hand on her bottom and the other on her breast playing with her nipple. He felt her tightening.

"Let go, baby. Let go for me." He whispered into her mouth. He rolled her nipple in his fingers and bit lightly the other one, her body jerked out against his as she clung to him as ripples of pleasure tore through her body. Gaining hold of her body she locked her legs tight around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. He started moving fast, speeding his rhythm, stroking her already sensitive inner tissues. Hermione gasped out as she felt another round of orgasm taking over her body. Mouth open she arched her back holding onto Harry as she rode her pleasure with him.

"Hermione." he gasped as he thrusted for the last time. He rolled over her as he fell on the bed, gaping for breathe.

"Wow." Hermione said as she recovered from the ecstasy she felt minutes before.

"I agree." Harry said as he straightened his spectacles looking at Hermione with a grin on his face.

"It makes me wish that every day was my birthday." she grinned back as she snuggled back into him.

"It didn't hurt too much did It." he asked yawning.

"No, it was perfect." She said as she yawned too her eyes closing.

"Love you." He mumbled sleep taking over him.

"Me too." She said kissing his hand.

What they didn't notice was as they both fell asleep both the bracelets on Harry's and Hermione's hand glowed bright and then dimmed turning to their normal self.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: Chapter 22**

A/N: new chapter here. All the reviews are very, very appreciated. :)

"_He looks so peaceful_." That was the first thing Harry heard the next mo

* * *

rning.

"_Hermione..._" he though when he realised who it was.

"_Harry_!" Hermione panicked voice came to him. Harry sat up and rubbed his eyes, he looked at Hermione she was wearing only his shirt. "_Harry_." She said.

_"Yes 'Mione."_

"We are not speaking." He could hear panic in her voice now.

_"Of course we are speaking I can hear you and you can hear me."_ He chuckled looking at her with laughter dancing in his eyes.

Taking a deep breath in the hopes to calm herself, she ordered "_Harry look at me. See I am not opening my mouth when I am speaking to you_."

_"But I can hear you."_

"Yes so can I. Can you think something else?" Hermione asked him.

Harry nodded and thought about last night. "That is enough Harry." Hermione stopped him as she blushed and looked at the bed. She closed her eyes and thought of a possible reason "Wait a moment; I think I have about this, it's called telepathy. It is the transfer of information on thoughts or feelings between two people." she said. Her eyes fell on the bracelet.

"Your bracelet, you are wearing one too, right?" Hermione asked Harry.

"Yes, here it is." He showed.

"Okay, take it out." She told. He nodded and took it out and suddenly there was just silence. She looked at him and thought _"Can you hear me now_?" when she got no response she let out her breath.

"So it's the bracelets?" Harry asked as they were getting into their clothes, his bracelet lying on the bed.

"Yep." She nodded.

"So what do we do now, do you want me to not wear it?" He asked hesitantly.

"Harry honestly, I have nothing to hide from you and we can talk to each other even when we are with the Weasley's." she said rolling her eyes. She picked up the bracelet from the bad and made with wear it. "And yes Harry it was great." She said as she gave him a kiss.

"We should go and have the potions." He whispered, his breath mingling with hers.

"Yes, we really should after we don't want a repeat performance of yesterday night now, do we?" she said as she jumped and locked her legs around his waist.

"A repeat performance doesn't sound that bad." He said as he vanished the clothes with a flick of the wand. He lowered his mouth to her breast. He traced her nipple with his tongue, lapping at it gently until she dug her nails into his shoulder.

"We really shouldn't, we have classes." She said breathlessly as she sucked on his adam's apple.

"It's Saturday and it's a Hogsmeade weekend." He said gasping as Hermione roamed her hands all over his body.

"_Okay, but today is my turn." _She thought as she scraped her teeth over his nipple and heard him cry out her name. She looked at his face pausing a bit.

_"No don't stop."_ Harry thought as he buried his hands in her hair, he under her and she above him. She traced her finger down the line of hair at the centre of his body. Her thighs touching his, she caressed him, coming closer and closer to his erection, but making sure she did nothing more than brush it. She slid her hands lower, and the taut muscles of his stomach clenched reflexively. She went lower, letting her breath hit him hot, hard erection gently. His hands came to her head, rubbing her hair. His breaths were rapid and skin flushed with arousal.

"I want to try something." She said as she hesitantly touched his erection. "_Can I?" she thought._

_"Only if you want to."_

He felt like satin under her fingers. She lowered her head and ran her tongue up and down his length._ "Oh! Merlin." _He cried out in his head. This was her first time she is doing something like this and she wanted it to be right. Talking her time, she tasted him reaching between his legs; she cupped his sac, massaging it in the palm of her hands as she took him into her mouth. She sucked him deeper in her mouth without managing to choke, felt his body tighten as she worked up and down her length. She tasted a salty bit of his essence when she heard him _"No more..."_ as he pulled away from her.

He pulled her on him and lowered his head to meet the kiss which was initiated by her. She took his jam in her hands and held him still as she traced the seam of his lips with her tongue, tasting him his hands on her back tighten but she didn't hurry or changer her pace. She slipped her tongue between his lips and teased him with long and short strokes alternatively.

Not to be outdone Harry placed her on the centre of the bed, flipping over. His hands made long strokes down her body, lingering on her breast. He circled he nipples with the tip of his finger. He then took the nipple in his mouth, sucking it and breathing at it making it go hard and erect. He rubbed circles around belly button before delving lower. His fingers separated her as he slipped into her creamy warmth but did nothing.

_"Please." H_er legs moved restlessly on the bed. He slid o finger inside her and rubbed her bundle of nerves making her go crazy. _"More." _Harry complied as he slid another finger and thrust it in and out. She arches into him, needing more. He changed his pace as he slowly thrusted in and out, driving her crazy until everything in her body tightened, her body clenched and called out his name long and low. She smiled at him and wrapped her arm around him making him come closer.

"You are beautiful." He said as his emerald eyes follow down from her defined collarbone to her breasts and down her flat toned abdomen to her long, pale legs. Harry waited until Hermione's body stilled before he pushed himself on his elbows to stare down at her. _"You really are." _He kissed her lips, cheek, and then lingered at the base of her neck as he savoured the felling he was feeling as Hermione caressed his back, scraping her nails in patterns in everywhere she could.

He lifted her legs and paused at her entrance of her body. The tip of him slipped inside her. She was so wet and sp ready. Her body tightened around him as he entered her. Her muscles tightened around him as he pulled back for a second thrust. Her nails dug deep into her skin and he knew she was close just as he was. He hurried his pace, thrusting deeper and harder in her. A couple more thrusts and he came inside of her. He kept going until she came a few moments later. He rode out her climax until she came down from her high, screaming. When they finished, Harry fell on her. He rolled over next to her, spent. "Whoa," was the only thing he said as he panted, sweaty.

_"That was amazing." _Hermione looked at Harry and thought.

Harry and Hermione didn't leave the Room of Requirement till the afternoon which only because they had to take the potion.

_"Let go to meet Sirius." _Harry said as he played the scene from Gringotts to Hermione, she nodded and took his hand, leading him out _._

"_Okay."_ Hermione agreed as she followed him. Harry knocked on the door and went into the room without waiting for any answer. They saw Tonks, Sirius ad Remus sitting around a table discussing something, something which was not at all pleasant.

"What happened?" Harry immediately asked them. He tried to catch Sirius's eyes but he kept avoiding looking at him.

"N-Nothing..." Tonks stuttered as she got up and wished Hermione belated birthday.

_"That definitely is something."_ Harry glanced at Hermione as she nodded.

"No something has happened, out with it." Hermione repeated as she sat down next to Harry on the sofa.

"Okay. But you gift first." Sirius agreed at last as he gave her a present.

"This is from all of us." Remus added as Hermione took it.

"Thanks guys." She said quietly. She opened it and saw the number of books.

"_Soul mates and heirlooms?" _Harry read the covers_. _Hermione repeated the questions to them.

"Of course, don't tell me you can't hear each other's thoughts." Tonks said her eyes going to the bracelet which was visible on both of them.

"How did you know?" Harry asked instantly.

"Because James and Lily had discovered the same thing when they were in their seventh year." Sirius said grinning as Harry gaped at him.

"That's what you were keeping from me yesterday, why didn't you tell me then?" Harry asked his voice accusing.

"Because I wanted it to be a surprise." Sirius said rolling his eyes.

"And what about the soul mates stuff?" she asked.

"Well you know I am Harry's magical guardian so yesterday night I got this ministry stating that you both soul mates and that Hermione is betrothed to Harry. So what did you both do yesterday night?" Sirius said grinning widely.

"Nothing." They both said together looking away blushing.

"Anyway, so what happened, why were you so serious before we came here?" Hermione said quickly.

"There was another order meeting." Remus said his smile dropping.

"Were you called?" Hermione asked.

"Yes." he nodded.

"And did Dumbledore show himself?"Harry asked.

"Yeah and made us take the oath again."

"What did he say?" Harry asked as he saw the three of them looking uncomfortable.

_"Is it that bad."_ Hermione started to panic. Harry looked at her and held her hand rubbing patterns on her palm soothingly.

"Well there has been another attack but the order members and the Aurors were able to reach there at time, so the damage so not that much. Dumbledore also thought that it will be a great idea that you both to be betrothed to the Weasley's." Sirius said dryly.

"But now that you two are already betrothed, so that's not a problem anymore." Tonks said winking.

"But be careful around the Weasley's they will try to convince you to be together or ask you to promise them about a future or may make you make an oath to marry them. Don't the moment it happens call the each other with the mind link and get away from the situation." Remus said seriously.

"That's all?" Hermione asked as she fingered her bracelet.

"Yes, but you I know this spell which will make Harry's bracelet look different than yours. After all you don't the same thing on both of your hands seen by the others do you?" Sirius said smirking. They both shook their head as Sirius changed the colour of the bracelet from Silver Ruby and Emerald to a band which was black in colour with a thread of Silver, Ruby and Emerald seen here and there.

_"It looks beautiful." _Hermione looked at the bracelet in pure adoration.

"We should be going, we have not seen the Weasley's since yesterday." Harry said uncomfortably. Hermione nodded and stood up to leave when Tonks stopped them both.

"You did take the potions which Sirius gave Harry before we came to Hogwarts, right?" Tonks said grinning, her eyes twinkling. Hermione gasped as she spluttered off while Harry looked anywhere else but those three.

_"Now is a great time to leave."_ Hermione took Harry's hand and left the room as she heard them laughing at them.

"Where were you yesterday evening, today morning and today afternoon?" Ginny asked as Harry sat down for dinner that day. _"Here we go."_ He sneaked a peek at Hermione who was in deep conversation with Ron but from the frown on her it meant that it wasn't going well either. "_Same thing here too." Hermione sent him the thought._

"Well are you going to tell me?" Ginny asked him a little louder than before.

"Calm down." Harry said looking around him as he saw others looking over.

"_Wrong thing to say." _Hermione smirked as Ginny cried louder "Calm down, I won't calm down and don't you ask me to calm down Harry James Potter."

_"What do I do?"_ Harry sent it to her panicking.

_"Sorry, can't help you here." _He heard a chuckle.

"Well." Ginny said as he looked at her.

"I am sorry. What happened?" Harry asked shooting a pained look to Hermione, whose talk was going much better than his as he resisted sighing aloud.

"I had come gone to the Head's dormitory yesterday because I wanted to spend some time with you but the painting said that you were not in, it didn't even let me in." Ginny whined as she attracted some attention.

"So?" He asked as he scratched his head.

"So, where were you?"

"I was in the Room of Requirement; you know planning for the next meeting we have tomorrow." Harry said with a little irritation in his voice. _"Add me in that too."_ "Hermione was with me too, ask her yourself." He added quickly as he listened to her.

"Yes Ginny, we were discussing about the meeting tomorrow." She said to Ginny and Ron both.

"You could have asked me to join you; it's been so long we both have been alone and together, what about the last we both kissed huh." She continued her whining.

"_Tell her you love her."_ Harry heard Hermione he shivered in disgust but when he told Ginny that he loved her he said the same thing to Hermione in his head.

"And what about today, the whole day. Where were you, I was looking for you in Hogsmeade?" Ron said now.

"Uuhh..." Harry started thinking how to answer to that question when Andrew slash Sirius came to the rescue. "Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger can you please come with me and complete the job you have been doing this whole day." He called as he stood right behind Hermione. Hermione jerked in surprise as she didn't hear him come up.

"Of course Sir." Harry replied immediately relief evident on his face.

"You were with Professor Andrew?" Ron asked surprise evident on his face.

"Yes, they both are helping Professor Tonks set for a duelling class she has planned for tomorrow." Sirius said.

"Why didn't you say so before? You should have told me and I would have helped you." Ginny said shooting a look at Andrew as Ron nodded. Harry and Hermione just shrugged.

"I will meet you tomorrow, I have to go okay." Harry told Ginny. Ginny tried to kiss him but hissed at her "Not in front of the professor."

_"That was a close call." _Harry looked at Hermione.

"_I agree." _Hermione nodded as they left the hall following Sirius_._

"I saved both of yours ass back in there." Sirius said in a singing tone as they entered his quarters.

_"He is never going to let this down, is he?" _Harry said as he sat down on the sofa_._

_"Nope." _Hermione said as she heard Sirius snickering_._


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: Chapter 23**

A/N: hey readers, I am so so sorry for the delay. Please do review, they make me happy.

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_"Harry, don't refer to my memories for the potion essay." _Hermione smirked when Harry looked at her with his puppy eyes.

"But Hermione, technically it is not cheating." Harry pointed out innocently. Hermione shook her head and rolled her eyes at him while Harry just smiled and went back to his essay. But he felt her blocking him out sighing he said innocently "you know Hermione that tomorrow is the Quidditch match and I seriously can't complete without your help." Adding a pout at the end

_"Just, make sure it's not the same." _Hermione grumbled knowing she couldn't win.

It was around midnight; they both had finished the Potion's essay and then Transfiguration essay. They both were completing the Charm's essay the last one to be completed so that they could have the weekend to themselves when Remus's patronus came into the room and opened its mouth wide "Hermione can you get those Dumbledore books to Tonks room, please." And promptly vanished in thin air leaving Harry and Hermione puzzled.

_"Why does he need those?"_ Harry asked Hermione.

"_Do you think he found something?"_ Hermione got up and looking for the journals.

_"I hope so." _The mind link was a blessing in disguise for the both of them. Especially during the times with the Weasley's the link with Hermione was the only thing that kept him from doing any harm to them, and it kept him same in their presence.

"Here give me some of those." Harry said motioning towards the journals in her hand when he saw her struggling with them.

"Thanks." Hermione said with a smile and leaned onto him kissing him, showing her appreciation to him. "We should be going, come on." She said pulling back nodded towards the portrait and left, Harry following her.

Within minutes Harry and Hermione were in Tonks room with the books in their hands. "What's going on?" Hermione asked immediately looking at Remus for the answer.

"Show me the books." Remus commanded without answering her. Hermione passed on the books and settled onto to the sofa, snuggling next to Harry looking curiously at Remus as he went through the books searching for something.

"Did you find something?" Hermione tried again.

"Did you find another Horcrux? Harry asked directly, daring to hope.

"I may have something, but don't get your hopes up." He warned.

"Where did you see it?"

"Room Of Requirement." He said not once looking up from the books.

"Here, why would Voldemort hide a Horcrux here, in Hogwarts where it can be easily found by students?" Tonks asked confused.

"That's because Hogwarts is his home. Voldemort comes from an orphanage and when he came to Hogwarts this became his home." Harry asked sombrely.

"When did you see the Horcrux?" Hermione asked biting her lips.

"Umm, When I was in my seventh year." Remus replied hesitatingly.

"And you remember this now?" she asked doubtfully.

"Well you see Sirius and I were remembering our time in Hogwarts and I just remembered that I had used the Room of Requirement to hide the bottles of butterbeer there." He said as he flipped the pages of the journal.

"Was Sirius or my dad there with you?" Harry asked interested in knowing more.

"No, it was only me." Remus shook his head.

"What were you doing?" Harry asked Sirius who was lying on the rug, his eyes closed and a smile lying on his lips.

"I was busy doing _other _things that night, and so was your dad." He said wriggling his eyebrows at them.

"Eww..." Hermione pulled a disgusting face Sirius while Harry spoke up "I so didn't need to know that."

"Here this is what that thing looked like."Remus said as kept the book on the table. Everyone leaned in to get a better look but Hermione was the first one to talk.

"But this the Ravenclaw's Diadem." Hermione said pointing at the picture.

"yes." Remus nodded.

"Well in Dumbledore's diaries he has written that he has already destroyed it." She said as he looked at Remus, he looked a little put down by the news but he relaxed back into the sofa.

"well thank god then, we don't have a Horcrux to destroy then." Tonks said happily.

"Tomorrow is your Quidditch match isn't it Harry, against the Ravenclaw's?" Sirius asked relieved that they didn't have to for a Horcrux hunt.

"Yeah, you all are coming to see me, right?" he asked.

"Of course." Sirius nodded excited of seeing his godson play.

Harry and Hermione were both already in the great hall when Ginny and Ron came and sat with them. After a quite breakfast Ginny broke the silence.

"Let's go Harry." Ginny pulled Harry's hand leaving Hermione and Ron alone.

"Best of luck, for today." Hermione said to Ron, as he pulled her nearer to him.

"I don't need luck; I know we are going to win today." He said smirking and leaning into her giving her a sloppy kiss.

Hermione wanted to gag when she felt his lips meet hers. She stepped back, from his embrace and broke the kiss "See you after the match." She said quickly and turned and walked away from there, pretending to not hear Ron call after her.

He skidded to a halt in the changing rooms, with Ginny in tow and found the rest of the team already there, pacing back and forth. He didn't say anything to them as he pulled off his robes and pulled on his Quidditch uniform. He then paused and looked around and saw Ron come in and get ready with a slight frown on his face.

Harry wondered what had transpired between him and Hermione but quickly shook it off because he knew she could handle herself quite well and second Ginny was hanging for his arm keeping an eye on him and he knew that he had to be careful with her from on.

"I've said all I can to you. I don't know about the rest of you, but I intend to win this game," Harry said, looking to each in turn remembering how well the practices have gone.

"Let's win this." Ron said with a glint in his eyes and started towards the field with everyone else following him.

The sun was just starting to set, but there were magical lights set up around the field to provide sight. The field was filled with students, and a great cheer went up from half the crowd as he walked out. Over the din he could hear Dean Thomas - the new student in charge of commentating - calling out the names of the players. He toned it all out as he walked to the centre to meet Chambers and Sirius. He could feel the excitement roll of him.

"Right then, I want a good clean game, understand?" he said, trying to keep himself sound tough and strict, by looking to both captains meaningfully, but Harry knew better. When they nodded, she smiled. "Shake hands, then."

Just before he mounted his broom, he saw Hermione up on the stands and cheering from him. _"Be safe."_ He heard her. He just nodded keeping his gaze on her and then took his position.

The wind had never felt as good in Harry's ears before as he shot into the air on the whistle. He just wanted to lose himself but then when he heard Dean's enthusiastic shouting into the magical microphone; he quickly opened the eyes, welcoming the reality to settle upon him. He trusted his own instincts to look around. Ron was in position already, which was just as well, and he saw his three Chasers starting down the field to steal the Quaffle from the opposing team. What he didn't see was either bludger... until he had to dodge both in a row.

"Carmichael and Thompson seem to have it in for Gryffindor's Seeker, and who can blame them? Riding his incredible Firebolt, our own Harry Potter is nigh unstoppable in his quest for the golden snitch is being blocked by two bludgers on either of his sides." And that's when Harry realised that he was being tagged by two bludgers and tried his best to shake them off.

" And it's Weasley with the Quaffle... stolen by Bradley..." There was a great cheer from about half the crowd, and Dean screamed into the microphone before saying what happened. "And a bloody brilliant beating job by Sloper nearly knocks Bradley off his broom. Creevy in possession of the Quaffle... now the other Creevy... now Weasley... and what's this? Harry look out!" he heard Dean and Hermione both scream and he was just in time to miss. He tipped his broom down and had a drop from sky-high to none and heard the bludgers base on the ground.

He blocked out Hermione and took his place again knowing that she going to disturb his again and searched for the snitch, now wanting it to be over as fast as possible. He saw Seamus smashing the Quaffle with his beater stick. Ginny was right next to a hoop, and snapped it in with the end of her broomstick to deafening applause; cheer and booing filled the air.

The sun had completely set by the time Harry caught his first glimpse of the snitch. He was vaguely aware of the fact that they were leading by almost one hundred points by this stage, even though Ron had let a couple through. All thoughts went out the window when he spotted it, though. The fleck of gold was hovering near the Ravenclaw goal posts. Leaning into his broom, he shot down again at dizzying speeds. He blew past all three Ravenclaw Chasers who were covering the hoops.

The snitch was almost in reach. It was just darting a little further away... just a little further... from his reach, when his broom stopped in mid air. The snitch was just a few hands' lengths away, but he couldn't reach it if his broom wasn't going to move. He looked behind him and saw that Chambers had almost caught up. He would catch the snitch if his boor wasn't going to move. He tried with all his might, to will his broom to move but it didn't move an inch. He could hear feel the hushed silence that had fallen on the field as they all looked upon him. Looking back, he threw caution to the wind and leapt from his broom, grabbing the snitch in an instant. He heard the cheers first, and then several horrified screams before he felt the bottom drop out of his stomach, and he was falling fast.

He braced himself for the impact and in less than a millisecond he felt himself in contact with the ground. He blacked out for a moment and the next thing he registered that his wall was down and he would hear Hermione blabber something sobbing, with obvious concern for him. He could feel Hermione's sobs.

_"It's alright, 'Mione, don't worry."_ he whispered to her.

"_Alright?" _she sent back. _ You fell almost ten to fifteen feet! If not more!" _

"_But we won." Harry though as a smile stretched his face._

Harry groaned audibly and felt someone levitate him; he opened his one eye and saw Sirius taking him to the infirmary. His eyes happy and relieved to see him fine, not seriously hurt. He turned his head and looked at the other members who weren't allowed to get near him. He saw Ginny's red face as she looked at Sirius in his avatar with Harry and a glint in Ron's eyes as he relished in the win, none what so ever concerned for him, closing his eyes wanting to never see them again.

A week after Harry was released from the infirmary, with full recovery he and Hermione found themselves walking the corridors of Hogwarts way after curfew as they made their way towards Tonks quarters. Tonks and Remus were called for an order meeting and Sirius, Harry and Hermione were going to meet up.

"Hey." Sirius greeted them yawning as he sat in front of the blank mirror from which voices started coming the moment Hermione and Harry sat down next to Sirius.

"what do you think is the reason behind the meeting?" Harry asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"Don't know. Must be important though" Sirius said again yawning.

"Shh..." Hermione shushed them as the voices became more prominent.

"Molly..." Tonks had put up a fake smile looking the Weasley and hugged her.

"Hello, dear. Remus." She added when she saw Remus behind her. "We should get inside, the meeting is about to start." She said pushing them towards the room.

Dumbledore got up the moment he saw both of them and motioned them towards the chairs and started then speaking. "I have new information related with Voldemort. My spy has informed me that Voldemort is planning an attack. The location I am not aware of it yet. The attack will be upon the muggle London in three weeks, almost during Halloween so we all have to be on our best." He said nodding and walking out off the room the meeting dismissed.

"I hate Halloween." Harry whispered on the other side of the mirror, burying his head in Hermione's shoulder.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: Chapter 24**

Authors Note: - Hey guys, I can't tell you how sorry I am for not posting the chapter sooner. I had my internals going on and had to prepare an art exhibition. And then my computer crashed and all the chapters I had saved were gone in a blink. But in all, I am really sorry.

Well I hope you like this chapter.

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"Where are you going?" Harry asked Hermione, opening his one eye as she patted her hair down making herself look presentable.

"I have Muggle studies now." she said as bending down to kiss his cheek "And I am already late. You go back to sleep, I will see you later." she said ruffling his hair. She looked at her watch; she left the room in a hurry to reach the class at time.

Hermione half walk and half ran on the corridor on her way to the class when she was pushed from behind and tripped and fell on the floor. The classes had already started so there wasn't a soul on the corridor. Hermione pushed the hair off her face and turned to look at the culprit and saw Blaise Zabini standing, looking down at her with a smirk on his face.

"Well, well well look here, you are at last at the right place, on the floor-mudblood." He spat at her looking at her with raw disgust on his face. Meanwhile Hermione was calling out for Harry in her head.

"What do you want?" she asked as she struggled to get up on her feet.

"No, no, not so fast. Stay where you are or else I have to hurt you."He said as he pressed his wand on her forehead pressing her down on the floor until she was on her back, her wand had rolled away from her, lying a feet away from her reach.

"_Hey."_ Hermione heard harry in her head and she nearly sighed in relief.

"_Help me." _She sends the thought quickly never moving her gaze from him.

"What do you want?" she repeated her question to him.

"_Where are you?" came his immediate reply._

"_Third floor corridor."_

"Isn't it obvious, to hurt you of course." he said smirking. She saw his wand move and then she heard silence. She opened her one eye and looked around and saw Zabini, frozen lying on the floor and behind him Malfoy stood with a wand in his hand.

* * *

"Are you okay?" he asked her softly coming neared to her and giving her a hand to get up.

Harry saw Malfoy standing in front of Hermione and rage boiled his blood, he ran through the corridor.

"Get away from her." He shouted and pushed back and stepped in-between him and Hermione. He shouted when he saw Hermione slump down on the floor. His heart dropped to his stomach and his legs almost gave away. Harry took a step towards him when he felt Hermione holding him back. He turned slightly to look at her but kept his wand trained at him.

"Hermione." his voice trembling as he took her in his arms "You okay?"

She smiled "I am fine, thanks to Draco here." She said. Harry and Malfoy both looked at her wide eyes and then looked at each other. Harry gave him a gruff nod as thanks and then turned to Hermione.

"What happened?" he asked her. As Hermione explained to Harry and Draco what had happened, they didn't notice Zabini fighting the spell. Being stupefied, he easily broke through the spell and quickly fired the spell at Hermione, before anyone could notice.

"Hermione, Hermione..." Harry called her name as he took her in his trembling arms and Draco went to call McGonagall. He picked her up and took her to the infirmary.

"Mister Potter, what happened to Miss Granger?" Madam Pomfrey immediately started working on her, as Harry just looked on, incapable of saying anything at the moment.

"Mister Potter?" she tried again and turned to look and saw that he had gone into shock. Cursing under her breath she sends her patronus to Professor McGonagall. She then went to Harry and took him to the bed next to her and made him lie on there was no resistance.

"Open your mouth Mister Potter." She ordered him and he immediately followed and poured a dreamless potion into his mouth and within minutes his eyelids began to drop and soon he was dead to the world. Madam Pomfrey went to work on Hermione when McGonagall entered with Draco in tow.

* * *

Draco looking at Harry and Hermione immediately left the infirmary without being noticed by either of them and decided to tell Tonks, what had just happened.

"What happened?" the headmistress asked sharply looking at her student's unconscious on the bed.

"I don't know Mr. Potter here, bought Ms. Granger like this and soon went into a shock himself so I was forced to give him a potion. He should be fine in the next couple of hours." She said still working on Hermione..

"What about Ms. Granger?" she asked looking at her.

"We just heard." Tonks, Remus and Sirius burst into the room with Draco entering behind them quietly.

"What happened?" Remus asked immediately as he looked the both of them on the bed looking pale and unconscious.

"Mr. Potter is fine he just went into shock but it seems that Ms. Granger here had put into an enchanted sleep."

"Who did this?" Remus asked McGonagall.

"It was Zabini." Draco spoke up for the first time. "The first time he tried to curse her, I stunned him and he broke the spell off him and attacked her while we three were talking."

McGonagall was still for a moment and nodded "Please do excuse me, I have some matters to be discussed with Mr. Zabini." She said as she left the room in distress.

"Ms. Granger will be awake by this time tomorrow, the spell used on her shuts down the working of the mind to the minimum." Madam Pomfrey said as she saw the way Tonks looked at Hermione.

* * *

Madam Pomfrey left the infirmary leaving the three professors and the student alone. Tonks, Sirius and Remus exchanged startled glances as they looked upon Hermione and they pretty much knew what was going to happen next.

Draco was standing in a corner of the infirmary opposite to Harry and Hermione and saw Tonks, Remus and Professor Andrews walked out of the room into the hallway. They searched for a nearest broom cupboard where they could talk

"This is going to bring trouble." Tonks bursted out as she bended slightly to see Remus and Sirius in the small dirty, dusty cupboard and looked upon as Sirius silenced the place.

"Do you think Voldemort knows about Hermione?" Sirius asked.

"I don't think so, because if he did then he would have her kidnapped and then murdered as soon as possible?" Remus said thoughtfully.

"What do we do now?" Sirius asked jiggling his leg.

"Harry will be most vulnerable now that Hermione cannot protect him from Voldemort." Remus pointed out.

"There is nothing we can actually do." Tonks said sighing. "You think he will try to get connect with Harry?"

"Of course, let's hope he is ready for it." Remus said sighing as he left the room.

"He is ready Tonks." Sirius said as he saw her leg jiggling showing her nervousness.

"You think so?"

"Yes, he is ready." He said more to himself than to her.

* * *

"Hello Mr. Potter, its being a long time I have you." Harry looked directly into his red, inhuman snake eyes without flinching. He just nodded. He looked at his surroundings and found himself in a black corridor with Nagini slithering all over Voldemort.

"I hope Ms. Granger is fine, not to badly injured I hope?" he smirked as he saw Harry clench his fist.

"I sure don't want her to be injured, because I would like to kill her myself just the way I killed your parents, looking right in their eyes, seeing the light in the eyes vanish leaving behind nothing." Harry bit his lips and clenched his fist tighter and Voldemort's smile grew.

"You want to know what I will do to her before I kill her Harry." He said now tauntingly.

"My men would like fresh meat so that they could entertain themselves, and I have some new curses I want to try out too."

"You will never get her." Harry spit out at him.

"Oh! And why won't I get her?" he asked leaning forward a little.

"Because I am going to kill you before you can even touch her."

"And how can you so sure of that?" his face going blank but Harry could see a spark of anger in his eyes.

"Because I know the prophecy." He smirked.

"What!" Voldemort hissed now angry than ever, but Harry kept on smirking knowing what he was going to do next. He stood up from his chair and walked right in front of him, never breaking eye contact and suddenly feeling braver than before. He stopped in front of Voldemort, bends in front of him and then suddenly touched his forehead, the same place where he had given him the scar.

Next what happened shocked the both of them, Voldemort and Harry both fell on to their knees and screamed in pain like never before they both had experienced. Then a black smoke rose from Harry and went right into Voldemort. Harry stopped screaming and painted heavy and pushed himself far from Voldemort who his back, screaming and twisting in pain and then a stream on black smoke came out of him and vanished into air. He looked at harry and tried to get up. But Harry had already closed his eyes concentrating to the 'real world'.

He opened his eyes in the infirmary, sweating and twitching looking straight into chocolate brown eyes.

"Hermione." He whispered smiling at her. He wrapped his arms around her in a hug and then promptly fainted.

* * *

"What is happening Poppy?" McGonagall asked as she entered the infirmary and saw Tonks, Sirius and Remus standing next to Harry's bed while poppy was working on him. It had been almost a day since the attack on Hermione and since Harry had gone into shock and since then they both had been unconscious. It wasn't until half an hour ago since Harry started murmuring in his sleep and then started to twist and turn around in the bed sweating so much that his shirt had stuck to his body like second skin. He had a frown on his forehead and his eyes were moving rapidly.

"I don't know..." Poppy said as she stepped back and wringed her hands together. "I don't know what is wrong with him; I can't help him at all."

Then all of a sudden Harry fell quiet and completely still as the others kept on looking. They were so focused on harry that they didn't see Hermione sit up on her bad, looking at harry, her eyes widened in shock and quickly got up from her bed, her legs shivering. Pushing Tonks out of the way she sat on his bed ignoring Madam Pomfrey "Get back to your bed."

She pressed her right hand on his heart and picked up his left hand and put it on his scar. She started to chant an ancient Latin spell which no one could hear and understand. Then Harry screamed and arched his back, his sweaty right hand holding her at her waist. Hermione never stopped her chanting but her grip on his chest tightened. Soon the result showed, a black smoke came out from Harry's scar and vanished into thin air and as harry fell down on the bed gasping. He opened his eyes and got up on the bed, his hands supporting him upright. He looked at her and she could see a spark returning in his eyes.

"Hermione." He said as he wrapped his hands around her loosely and then fainted on her.

"Help me." Hermione said as he held Harry's body as the others looked at her in awe. Her cry for help shook them from their stupor and caused Pomfrey fussing on them.

"Miss Granger, what was that." McGonagall asked her sharply as she returned to her bed.

"Not now, Professor." She said clipped tone. Hermione looked at Sirius and pushed a thought into his mind. He went still and then shook his head and nodded at Hermione. He levitated McGonagall and Poppy out of the room and sealed the room shut. He looked back and saw Harry and Hermione sleeping in each other's arms.

"What is happening?" Draco asked quietly and the three of them jumped forgetting he was even present there. Sirius looked at him and instantly knew he could trust him. He took off the glamour from him and ignored Draco's gasp of surprise.

"_Harry was a Horcrux, Six down, one to go. The last one is Nagini. Voldemort is coming by tomorrow noon. Get Ready"_


	25. Chapter 25

Authors Note: Hey guys, I am sorry for the delay in posting, things have been hectic on my side. I just hope you like this chapter and do let me know about it.

And I would also like to add that I was going through my story when I realised I was going off track in the middle, so I went back and edited all the chapters, so it would be great if you gave it a read again.

* * *

"_Harry was a Horcrux, Six down, one to go. The last one is Nagini. Voldemort is coming by tomorrow noon. Get Ready."_

Tonks went into frenzy when she heard Sirius utter those words which Hermione had informed him, the atmosphere turned heavy and serious in a flick of a second from joy and relief.

Draco's knee gave away and he slumped onto the chair, Remus face hardened and held Tonks for his dear life as she whimpered quietly. Sirius looked at Harry's and Hermione's relaxed form, trying to come up with a suitable plan.

Sirius started pacing the infirmary's length when his gaze fell on Draco. He stopped in front of him, and surprising even himself he took him in his arms, giving him a well deserved hug. Draco stiffened at the contact by his... uncle but relaxed after a point of time, trying to regain his strength and body in control.

"Are you the spy, whom Dumbledore has been talking about?" Remus asked Draco when he and Sirius untangled.

"S..Spy?" Draco stuttered as he looked at their faces, wondering what they were thinking about him. He rubbed the back of his neck and then sighed. He nodded slowly and pulled up his sleeve to show then his dark mark. "But I had no choice-"he said desperately wanting them to know that it wasn't his choice "he blackmailed me, he had my mother and threatened to kill her if I wouldn't take the mark."

"We know, Draco." Tonks said calmly and came forward and took him hands in hers feeling every inch of sadness for her long lost cousin.

"Where is your mother now?" Remus asked him. "We can try to save her from Voldemort."

"She's dead; he killed her as soon as he marked me." Draco said his voice braking in-between "he petrified me and then he set her on fire in front of me." He said in a hollow voice.

"Oh! Sweetie." Tonks whispered and pulled him closer into a hug. Draco rubbed his back of the neck and moved slightly away from her, his cheeks turning pink in colour.

"So what do we do now?" Draco asked clearing his throat desperately trying to change the topic. "We have to clear out Hogwarts before Voldemort arrives."

"Yeah, we have to get the younger students out of Hogwarts and notify the others so that we all are ready to fight tomorrow." Remus agreed.

"But the bigger problem here is Dumbledore." Tonks said quietly.

"You know about him too?" Draco asked his eyes wide in shock.

"Yeah, we know about him and more." Tonks said nodding at Draco. She looked at Remus and started to panic "This is a disaster, how will we handle Dumbledore and the Weasley's and prepare for tomorrow."

"Deep breaths..." Remus pulled her into him and whispered into her ear.

"Okay, first things first, the children, they have to be taken out." Sirius said keeping an eye on Tonks, taking deep breathes as instructed by Remus.

"Well we could use the Room of Requirement. I am sure we can find a way out of Hogwarts from there." Draco said thoughtfully. Sirius thought about it and nodded.

"That's a great- What the hell was that?" Sirius asked turning around. They all could hear the thumps and bangs on the door, trying to get it open.

"They are trying to break through." Tonks said in silence as the bangs ceased for a moment.

"We don't have more time; we will have be ready before they can barge in here." Remus said in a controlled voice. Tonks nodded and went towards Harry and Hermione, with Draco in tow.

'BOOM' the sound echoed through the room and Tonks neck snapped as she looked at the door. She quickly fired curses at the door, to withhold the curses from the other side. "Try to wake them Draco." Tonks ordered him and then to Sirius and Remus "Pocket all the potions you can, we may need it for tomorrow." Not once, her gaze wavering from the door, her wand in her hand ready to curse anyone who would have tried to come in- even Dumbledore.

"Potter, Granger..." Draco called out their names standing near the bed, hovering over them both, awkwardly. He called out their names a couple of time but knew that there was no more time left for pleasantries. Hesitantly he placed his one hand on Harry's shoulder and the other hand on Hermione's and shook them, while calling out their names.

What happened next was in a blur. The moment he shook the both of them, they both sprang up from the bed like springs and had their wand at Draco's throat in the next millisecond. Draco gulped down, feeling two wands pressing down on his throat. He took a short breathe and stood still waiting for Harry and Hermione to realise what was happening, and sure enough he could see the clarity coming in their eyes slowly and both of them dropped their wand almost immediately.

"Oh! Merlin, Draco I am so sorry." Hermione said covering her mouth with her other hand which wasn't holding her wand with a death grip. Draco relaxed smirked and nodded at them showing it was okay.

"Yeah, Sorry." He heard Harry mumbled and then sat on the bed pulling Hermione with him.

Getting into grasp what had happened Harry asked "The war's tomorrow, then?"

Draco nodded as he leaned on the wall. "You were one of the Horcrux." He said, not asked but told.

Harry and Hermione's eyes widened in shock but nodded none the less. "I thought you knew about it, I told Dumbledore about it, and I realised that he had told you."

"You are the spy." Hermione said her voice loud and sharp, her eyes brightening in understanding. Draco just nodded.

"Oh! You are awake." They heard Tonks say in relief when she heard Hermione. "I know that you both need more rest, but as you see this is not the right time." She said motioning at the magically sealed door which was trying to be opened from the other side.

"Is their anyway we can avoid them?" Harry asked, massaging his forehead, feeling a headache coming.

"I'm sorry Harry, but I see no way." Tonks shook her head.

"Where are Remus and Siri-"Hermione stopped short remembering that Draco was in the room with them.

"Its okay, Draco knows." Tonks said as she returned her attention towards the door.

"Okay, so where are they?" Harry asked as he looked around the infirmary.

"I asked them to get all the potions, they can with them. It may be useful for tomorrow."She said. Harry stiffened beside Hermione remembering Voldemort's attack on him and then sighed knowing no matter how much he wanted to run away from all of this, he couldn't. Hermione took his hand silently into hers and squeezed it.

'_What do we do now?'_

'_First we need to get out of here, and we have to face Ron, Ginny and Dumbledore before tomorrow's war.' Hermione said._

'_You make it sound so easy._

'_I know... I hope it is, but we both know it's not.' She said sighing out loud._

"Harry, Hermione..." they both heard their names called out and saw Sirius and Remus walking towards them.

"Hey." They said and hugged the both of them one after the other.

"How are you feeling?" Remus asked them taking a step back.

"Good, well rested." Hermione answered for the both of them.

A loud BOOM got their attention towards the door and Sirius sighed. "Any idea how to get out of here without any confrontation?" looking at their faces Sirius understood.

"Let's get it over with." Harry said again hearing a BOOM.

"Yeah, so we tell them that we know about the Weasley's and Dumbledore." Hermione said getting up and standing next o Tonks, her wand trained at the door.

"What about Sirius?" Draco spoke up beside Hermione, before they could open the door. They all looked at Sirius without his glamour.

"It's okay; I think the world s ready for Sirius." Harry said.

They all nodded then Harry spoke up "Draco, you don't have to help us, you just stay back from anyone view and then afterwards join them."

"Are you crazy, Potter? My family is here. I am not going anywhere." He said and soon found himself wrapped in Tonks arms, who was shrieking in happiness. Throwing a help me look to the others who were looking at the scene amusedly. Remus at last came forward and pulled her back releasing Draco from her hold. Draco gasped in a mouthful of very much needed air. Chuckling Sirius came near him and took him in a one arm hug. Draco broke away and cleared his throat, clearly feeling awkward at the open affection or love.

Understandingly changed the subject towards the door. "Everyone ready?" he asked. After a series of confirmation, he took a deep breath and unlocked the door slowly.

The surprise on the faces of the people who were on the other side of the door was clearly evident on their faces. Headmistress McGonagall was the first one to react.

"What is the meaning on this Mr. Potter?" She asked looking at Harry. Her gaze fell over Hermione, Tonks, Draco, and Remus and when it reached Sirius's she gasped aloud. Sirius cheekily took a step forward and waved his hand "Hey Minnie." With that McGonagall took a step back nearly avoiding on stepping on someone toes.

During the conversation going on, it had given enough time for Hermione and Draco to create an invisible shield between them where the door was which was meant to keep them out but would allow the six of them to go outside.

"How can this be, how is he alive, I saw his fall in the veil with me eyes." Ron said loudly, his eyes on Sirius.

"He did, he fell into the veil but our Hermione here brought his back." Tonks answered and everyone's eyes fell on a blushing Hermione.

"I can't believe you didn't tell us Harry. we are like your family." Molly said angrily making herself know for the first time.

"You are not my family. My family is here with me, on this side of the door. How can you expect s to believe you after you gave me and Hermione those love potions and stole money from me, for every day I stayed with you." Harry said his voice hard and in-control barely managing to control the immense anger he was feeling at that time. He saw Molly, Arthur, Ron and Ginny the Weasley's present, step back in surprise. Ron's face had already started to turn red slightly. Draco chuckled next to Hermione, looking at Ron.

The chuckle drew attention towards Draco, and they saw Ron take a step front "What are you doing with Malfoy?" Ron bursted out, his face turning an unhealthy shade of red. Draco again chuckled and this time Hermione knew it was to spite Ron. Hermione slapped his arm and scolded him "Draco!" she could see the shock on their faces when she acted so friendly with him.

"But you should have at least informed me Mr. Potter." McGonagall said trying to get the conversation going again.

"Just the way you informed us that Dumbledore is alive, Professor?" Hermione spoke up. McGonagall stiffened; never in her life could she imagine that her favourite student would speak to her like this.

"Ho... H... How?" Molly spluttered in shock, the same shock that could be seen on the others too.

"That is not important-"Sirius said but he saw soon cut off by Molly's screech.

"It was you, wasn't it?" She said pointing her finger at Tonks.

"Oh! Don't be stupid I am under an oath. And it wasn't Draco either." She added when she was her eyed go to him.

"Then how?" she asked adamantly.

"That's our secret, which we don't want to tell you." Remus spoke up for the first time. "But what is important that Voldemort is going to attack Hogwarts tomorrow noon, which is less than twenty four hours." He said.

"What do you mean, this is not the time to kid around, Remus."

"I am not Minerva, I am telling the truth, surely you know me well enough that I won't kid around with this." Remus said looking offended.

"We don't care whether you think it is a truth or lie, but the thing is Voldemort will be here tomorrow noon, and the first thing you have to do is send back the younger children." Harry said finally taking control of the situation.

"You can use the Room of Requirement to get them out." Draco suggested and he knew that is the only way outside Hogwarts which directly connects to London, from where the parents could easily pick them up. But no one moved.

Seconds later Hermione was the one to snap "What are you waiting for, if you didn't hear Harry before then let me repeat. Voldemort is going to be here, tomorrow noon for a war. And I imagine we have loads to prepare for and have lots of people to inform."

McGonagall sprang into action as she registered the words. She nodded sharply and set out to inform the other professors what had happened. Harry then turned his attention to the Weasley's who were standing outside the infirmary looking at them broodingly with such hatred. Harry stared at them without saying anything to them, just looked at them with disgust and anger.

"Why don't you go and inform Dumbledore what has happened." Sirius spoke up, disgust clearly heard in his voice for them.


	26. Chapter 26

Hey guys, I am so it took me so much of time to post this chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Read an Review :)

* * *

Remus and Tonks took off together leaving Harry, Hermione and Sirius together back in the head's common room. Silence fell over them like a thick blanket and no one tried to break it each immersed in their deep thought.

The footsteps of thousands of students headed to the great hall for dinner could be head like a dull roar where they would be told that they are being sent back to their homes. And by tomorrow breakfast they would all have been gone, away from here, the battle field where the third war would be fought once and for all. Sirius sighed and sat up straight on one of the couches and rubbed his face with his hands.

"I think I am going to go and speak to Draco, get to know him better before…" he trailed of getting up to meet his cousin in the next room leaving Harry and Hermione alone. Harry slowly turned towards Hermione; his eyes glazed lost in his thoughts and rested his chin on Hermione's shoulder as she relaxed back into him.

"What do you think is going to happen tomorrow?" Harry asked after a while wrapping his hands around Hermione, pulling her closer to him.

Hermione didn't answer for a while then she spoke up "I don't know."

"You think we will win, 'Mione?" he asked in a whisper.

"I know we are going to win. Harry we deserve it, you deserve it and we are ready." She said gripping his hands in hers.

"Okay, let's go to bed. Tomorrow is a big day." He said getting up and pulling her with him. They made their way to bed and lay down. Hours passed, neither slept both lost in their thought. At last Harry broke the silence by calling out her name.

"Mione, you awake."

"Yes Harry." She said with a smile.

"Sorry, stupid question." He said pulling her near him. Hermione snuggled into him and just hummed in response.

"What do you think we will be doing this time tomorrow?" Hermione asked trailing her fingers up and down his arm.

"This time tomorrow, we will be doing what we are doing now." Harry answered shifting his balance on his one arm and getting on top of her.

"And what's that?" she asked cheekily nipping at his ear.

"This." He whispered to her and dipped down to kiss her on her lips. Hermione kissed him back wrapping one hand around his neck and getting up slightly to narrow the distance, "Harry…" she whispered aloud when he started to pepper kissed down her jaw line to her collar bone.

"_Kiss me."_ Hermione sent him the thought and Harry did just that abandoning the collar button.

"_Clothes off!" _ Harry thought to her as he took off his shirt and tugged at hers. Nodding her head she pushed him off slightly and took off her shirt and shorts with Harry doing the same. As soon the clothes were off Harry pulled Hermione towards him and fell on the bed with her on top of him. He trailed his fingers down her bare arms, before gripping her waist and slowly pulling her further up his body. Her mouth hovered above his and said "I love you." Then pressed her mouth to his swallowing his words, she slowly sat up and wriggled her hips down to straddle his running her hands up and down his torso. "I love you too." Harry said once he gained his breathe fingering her hair and slowly massaging her scalp. Moaning, Hermione closed her eyes as Harry's calloused hand slid from her hip to her breast, he pulled her towards him until her breast touched his chest and he kissed along her neck from her ear to her shoulder. She gave his a little push and made him lie down on the bed. She took her time placing wet, open mouthed kisses down his chest, devoting extra attention to his nipples. "Enough." He said in a hoarse voice and then he flipped them over and his mouth closed over hers, she leaned into him as he slid her leg higher and his finger drove into her. He bit and licked and sucked her neck and everywhere he could find.

Hermione griped her hands in his hair, pulling and twisting it. His fingers pressed further and she moaned raggedly from deep within her chest. "Now." She demanded pulling his hair and wrapped her legs around his him and pulled him near her as he pushed his way inside her. She tried to swallow her gasp but failed. She locked her ankles behind his back and slid her hands around his neck, drawing him down for a deep kiss. "Faster." She whispered. He covered her mouth with his with a groan, kissed her deeply, but slowly as he carefully eased out and pressed back in again. Her nails sank into his back and he swallowed her gasp, his hips moving a little faster the next time as he slid almost out and thrust back in. she pressed her face into his shoulder to block out the scream when she came. Harry flipped them again and Hermione settle on him, taking a few seconds to relax, then she slowly started to move. After a few strokes she picked up the speed with Harry carefully holding her waist. A couple of strokes later Hermione threw her head back and opened her mouth in a silent scream as she came for the second time with Harry as he came with a roar. She turned and collapsed on the bed allowing him to hold her near him.

"Wow," she whispered, her voice hoarse, both of them panting for breath. Once they calmed, she lifted her head slightly to look at him, his eyes closed, his face relaxed. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled at her and said "This is what we are going to do tomorrow."

"Prat." Hermione replied laughing and bumped her head on his chest.

"Now rest." Harry said kissing her softly on her head. Hermione smiled at him and murmured "I love you." to him. The last thing she heard before she fell asleep was him repeating her words to her.

* * *

The next time Hermione woke up, she woke up to an empty bed. Jumping out off the bed she quickly summoned some cloths and made her way to the Great hall. She tried calling for Harry through the bond but there was o reply from hm. Playing with the bracelet she opened the door and ran towards the first person she saw that being Sirius. He was working on the maps of Hogwarts and its fields.

"Sirius, have you seen Harry?" she asked slightly out of breathe.

"Yeah, he is with Remus." He said pointing over his shoulder his eyes never moving from the maps. "What's wrong?" He asked when he saw her rattled look.

"Nothing, it's just he has been blocking me." She said when she saw his pointed look.

"Well, that's understandable today being the war and all that. Maybe he just didn't want to share all his anxiety with you and worry you." He said going back to maps he was working on.

"Good luck." She said and made her way towards Harry and Remus who looked as though they were arguing on something important. When she was a few feet away she heard Remus "… tell her Harry."

"I will tell her when you will tell yours." he said. Frowning she spoke up "Tell her what?" Harry and Remus jerked away and spun around towards her. "Tell her what?" she repeated when neither of them answered.

"Nothing, just chit chat." Harry said smiling at her. She frowned at him and turned towards Remus and waited for him to tell her. After a few second of silence Remus sighed and said "Harry is right. It's nothing important." Giving Harry and look and excused himself as he searched for Tonks.

"What's wrong?" she asked him looking at his face searching.

"You know the usual, fighting a dark lord, risking me and my friend's lives, saving the world. Nothing mew." He said shrugging.

"Harry…" She said sharply but was rudely interrupted when Ginny came next to her and tool a hold of her right hand pulling it up and gasped. Hermione saw Harry shift closed to her and were soon joined by Molly, Tonks, Ron, Remus and Sirius.

"What's this?" she shrieked pointing at the ring which was settled on Hermione's finger. She puzzled over the ring, she hadn't seen the ring ever before in her life, eyes widening she understood and turned towards harry who standing right behind her. Looking at the sheepish smile on his face she gasped aloud.

"You got engaged!" screeched Ginny glaring at both of them. Hermione kept on looking at Harry and he mouthed "I love you" to her and simultaneously sent her _"I wanted to surprise you. Marry me"_ Hermione shook her head at him and hugged him tight with tears in her eyes. "Show me." Tonks said looking at the ring. "It's beautiful." She said and Hermione agreed. She looked at the ring again and it suited her. It was simple, a gold band with a diamond on the top. She patted away the tears and hugged Sirius and Remus who offered their congratulations to her ignoring the the Weasley's.

"Is this what you wanted to tell me?" Hermione asked once they left them alone.

She saw the flicker on his face and then he said "Yeah, you got me." He said smiling at her, frowning at him knowing he was hiding something from her she tried to read his mind but the walls were up again. Knowing better than argue she nodded at him and made her way to the infirmary where she helped madam Pomfrey stock up on potions and salve.

* * *

It was one hour before twelve and Hermione had to find Harry. She couldn't stay away from him at this time. She turned towards Madam Pomfrey to excuse her, but she didn't have to. Madam Pomfrey was already smiling at her and smiled "Go, find him." She said with a smile going back to the salve she was working on. With a smile she thanked her and ran to the Great Hall. She didn't enter but stayed outside the hall. Standing at the top of her toes she looked out for Harry when she felt a pair of hand encircle her waist. Startled she jerked but the hold at her waste strengthened, not allowing to move away from him.

"I need to speak to you Hermione." Ron spoke his mouth near her ear.

"Let me go." She said struggling trying to pull out her wand without being noticed by him. He said nothing but pulled her near a corner, covered with shadow. "Don't make noise, I just want to talk." He said when she whimpered.

Keeping mum, she nodded strengthening her hold on her wand trying to call for Harry but his walls were up. Keeping a little better with her wand she waited for him to speak and he did after a few minutes of silence. "Ginny, is talking to Harry just the way I am trying to talk to you." She bit down on her lip to keep her from saying something aloud.

"What do you want to talk about?" she said at last, frustrated when he did continue.

"I want to know why you lied to be in love with me." He said in a rush. Hermione's mouth dropped in disbelief and pushed him away breaking free from him.

"You think I _lied_ to me." She said with such anger. She heard footsteps behind her but she didn't turn to know it was Harry; she felt the familiar charge in the air when he stopped just a couple of steps behind her.

"What about the time when you knowingly gave us both love potions to create the feeling 'love'." She spat and walked backwards and stopped when Harry hugged her from behind, just the way Ron had done it earlier but still so different.

Ron's mouth opened and close like a fish. "You lied to us on. You know people get sent to Azkaban for this. Molly was the one who had the potion. You took money from Harry to pay for all those days we stayed with you during the holidays. Don't you dare turn it on us, Ron. I am so sick of it. In a little more than half an hour we have to fight in the war and here you are accusing us of lying to you. Stay away from us Ron or I swear I will hex you till the next century." She said and walked away with Harry silently next to her. They walked in silence till they reached the Head's common room and then she broke down.

Harry took her in his arms and rocked her. She was so scared and irritated and angry with the whole thing but most of all was she was tired. "I am so scared." She whispered.

"I know, me too." Harry said resting his head on top of hers. It took her a few minutes to pull herself together and when she did she stepped back and looked him. Her eyes widened at the red cheek. "What happened?" she asked lightly touching it.

"Ginny." He said shrugging.

"Show me." She said to me. Harry looked at her for a second and then nodded. He brought down the shields and Hermione dove in.

_Harry was warming up in the Room of Requirement when the door opened. Thinking it was Hermione he just called out to her without turning. A few moments later when he was wiping the sweat off his forehead, she came and rested her face in-between his shoulder. He stiffened and knew that it was Hermione, she was much taller. Tightening this hold on his wand he shrugged he of and turned. "Ginny, what are you doing here. What's wrong?" he asked when he saw her._

"_Harry, I love you. I just don't understand why you are with Hermione when you can be with me." She said taking a step near him. Harry immediately took a step back to keep some distance between them and said "We never loved each other, Ginny. Whatever we felt then it was because of the potion you were giving me."_

"_But how do you know that she is not using the potion on you, huh?" she said desperately._

"_Ginny, Gin its over I love her and she loves me." He explained it to her._

_"You love her?" she whispered brokenly. Harry nodded and the next thing he knew was a sharp stinging pain on him cheek. Ginny jumped back and then spoke "I'm…I'm sorry." But Harry didn't listen to her. He shook his head at her and then walked away from her never looking back at her._

The scene ended and she could feel the walls ready to go up but she had to find out, find out what he and Remus were talking about in morning had to find what he was hiding from her. She immediately dug into his brain looking and searching as fast she could before the walls would go up. She saw what they were talking. They were talking about her and as seconds passed her felt herself getting cold atlas she was thrown out of his head by him with a jerk she stepped away from him, outside his reach and turned her back on him and shook her head.

"Unbelievable." She murmured but Harry heard her. He sighed and walked towards her but Hermione took a few steps away before he could reach her.

"I am not going to say I'm sorry, 'Mione. I would do it again to keep you safe." He said from behind her.

"Harry you were planning to keep me and Tonks locked up in Grimmauld place during the war!"

"To keep you safe." he argued back pulling her closed to him.

"Well I want to keep you safe too, but that does not mean I will lock you up!" she retorted wiggling as she turned to look at him.

"Hermione…" he started but she cut him off.

"No, Harry we are in this together." She said softly taking his hands into hers. "And I am not going away. I love you. And remember your promise about tonight?" she said cheekily. Harry shook his head and chuckled.

"but Hermione…" he said but Hermione interrupted him and said "We have less than fifteen minutes together, shut up and enjoy that." He nodded and just held her in her arms.

Five minutes to noon they made their way to the Great hall. They saw Dumbledore talking to McGonagall and they both stopped. It seemed that Dumbledore decided to 'show' himself to the others. Hermione could still see the shock on their faces. Harry turned and made his way towards Sirius with Hermione. They had been talking about the groups the students and Aurors were divided and where they would be placed, when Dumbledore came up to them.

"Harry, my dear boy." He said and Harry stiffened.

"Dumbledore." He said.

"Harry, I wanted to talk to you, alone." He said looking around the Great hall.

"Dumbledore, there is nothing to talk about."

"Harry, you must know that whatever I have done, it was for your good."

"Professor, yours and my definition of doing something for someone's own good is different. Voldemort is almost here. We both are fighting the same war with different means. There is nothing else to be said." He said with clinched teeth as he felt the twinge in his forehead.

Hermione held his hand and squeezed slightly, he squeezed back. Leaving Dumbledore their Harry, Hermione and Sirius made their way to the door and stood there. The others went up to their place, the astronomy tower, the green house and waited. Soon bangs were heard. Their spells colliding with the protective spells on Hogwarts and then Harry said clearly and loudly "Its started." Kissed Hermione again and griped his wand ready.

* * *

Hey guys I have started a new story, **Tempus Viator. Check it out!**


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